Fireflies
by luv2beloved
Summary: Ness gets the freedom of going off to college by herself in sunny CA. Jake left Bella after she came back from her honeymoon pregnant. Jake and Ness meet while attending the same college. Story takes place about 8 years Post-BD. Full summary inside. R
1. 1,2,3 Like a Bird I SIng

It has been a while since I have been here on FanFiction. I have been reading a lot though of all of your work and have become a huge Jake and Nessie fan. I have also been in a huge writing rut and decided to start with what inspired me to write a few years ago. I have so many projects going on with my personal endeavors but need to take a break. Which brings me to my newest story.

This is a Jacob and Renesmee story set about 8-10 years post Breaking Dawn. Actually nothing happened in Breaking Dawn past Jacob seeing Bella after the honeymoon. There is no imprinting at that time. I have been working on this story for a few weeks now and I hope that you all enjoy it. Please remember to review and let me know your thoughts.

It will seem to be moving along slowly at first but I promise I will get to the heart of it shortly. Every chapter will be based off of a song with the total theme being based off of the song _Fireflies_ by Owl City. The story will also be going back and forth between Jake and Nessie. The story will be rated M for future violence, love, lust, language and anything else I will throw out at you. There will be new original characters as well as characters that we all have grown to love and enjoy by the wonderful Stephenie Meyer.

Disclaimer **Implies for the full length of the story: I do not own anything Twilight related. All the characters and some plots belong to that of Stephenie Meyer. I just enjoy taking them and twisting some new life into them.

The story is being Beta'ed by some of my most prized and treasured readers- MyLionMyLamb and KIMMIE39

I am also Beta'ing two stories for Johnnyboy7 be sure to check them out. One is an All Human Bella and Edward and the other is a Ness and Jake story which is part of a trilogy.

I have also started a Nessie and Jake Community so if you have any recommendations please let me know or if you are looking for great stories check it out. I have been trying to add stories that are completed or that the plot is very well developed and being updated on a regular basis.

Now onto Fireflies

Chapter 1 Playlist: _Last Dollar_ by Tim McGraw

1, 2, 3 Like a Bird I Sing

Renesmee's POV

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" My father, Edward Cullen, asked for the umpteenth time since bringing in the last of my bags from the car.

I stood and looked around my dorm room with my mother, Bella Cullen. I knew without a doubt that this is what I wanted. It has been something that I wanted for a while. Almost an entire year to be exact.

"Yes, Dad I'm sure."

_It has been hard to hide my feelings and plans from my dad. When I sat my family down in at the dining room table to discuss my desires to leave and try to live life as a human everyone tried to fight me tooth and nail. The only one that seemed somewhat supportive was my grandfather._

"_Renesmee, what is so important that you needed to have all of us here?" My mother asked with her hand embraced in my father's._

_I reached into my pocket and pulled out the large envelope and placed it on the table. "I have been accepted to UCLA and I want to go." _

_I tried to keep my voice strong. I knew with a hint of doubt my family will say no without any further discussion._

_I respected everyone's thoughts and feeling on this subject, but there were really only two that I needed. My parents' faces went from shock to pissed in a matter of seconds. My dad let out a low growl and hissed before standing up, slamming his fist on the table. The table slightly cracking._

"_Absolutely not!" He bellowed. "We cannot send you across the country."_

"_Dad this is something that I have been wanting. I have applied to several colleges and this is the one I choose. It's time for me to try and learn life outside of these walls."_

"_But why California?"Mom asked while her perfect face trembling. "Why not go somewhere around here with us?"_

"_Because it's sunny," my voice was so quiet, but I knew they all could hear me. "I am half human. I don't have all the restrictions like you do. You don't know what it's like."_

_I looked over to Rosalie. I knew that if anyone would be my backup person it would be her. She eyed me as well and I could see the hesitation in there. "I wish I could go if I had the chance."_

_I smiled at her thankfully. I could begin to see the faces of everyone else slowly melt from the stone expressions that they usually wear._

"_She's not your daughter and she's not going!" Dad continued to stare at me. "And that's final!"_

_I already made my decision before walking down the stairs so when I saw Alice look at me and then drop her head down I knew that she saw my future. She may not see me directly, but she can see those around me._

"_Edward, she's already gone," Alice spoke up quietly._

_I nodded in agreement as Mom and Dad looked over at me shocked. "It's true. As far as we are all concerned I am pretty much considered legal. I have applied, I have accepted. I have already paid for my tuition. I also have already sent my roommate an email. I leave in three weeks."_

"_You'll miss your birthday," Alice's face seemed to fall at the idea of not giving me another useless party with food and cake that no one will eat but me._

"_Yes, Alice, but I still have a lot of shopping to do before hand."_

_Alice jumped up and ran to me pulling me into a hug. "We need to leave in twenty-nine hours. The sun will hide behind the clouds then."_

_I looked up to my parents and could see that Mom had lifted her shield so dad could get into her head. _

_After several minutes, Dad let out a heavy sigh. "Renesmee, we won't be there to protect you."_

"_Jasper and Emmett have taught me well. I can hold my own and I know how to destroy our kind if it ever got out hand." I countered._

"_Your diet, you need to hunt, there won't be many places around LA to hunt."_

_I smiled. "I have actually have not hunted in close to four months. I have been living entirely off of human food. Like I said I have been thinking about this and planning."_

"_I won't be able to read anyone's minds to know if someone is getting too close to your secrets."_

_I let out a breath. "Dad, is that about people finding out or is it the male population that you're afraid of?"_

_I watched as Dad opened and closed his mind a few times. I knew what his answer would be without him actually saying it._

"_Like I said, I know how to take care of myself."_

"_Alice can't see you. How will we know if you are in trouble?"_

_I tried to not get frustrated. I knew all these questions would come up. "Alice can't see me now. So I am sure you will have her get in tuned with Bridget and Alice will help keep an eye out like the way she does now. Besides I have my cell."_

_And so the conversation continued like that for several more minutes until Mom and Dad could not come up with anymore excuses. I think they realized that you can only keep a bird caged so long before you need to let go so it can fly._

I watched as both of my parents' faces fell slightly. I knew that this was going to be hard for them. After all, most parents had eighteen years with their children before helping them unpack into a college dorm room of freshmen year. My parents, however, only had nine years. I guess now would be as good as a time as any to catch you up on my family dynamics or the better word I would use is the family secret.

You see, I'm not entirely human. I am part human and part vampire.

How you ask. Well simple. My mother was human when she and my father, a vampire, consummated their marriage. Hence, creating me, Renesmee Carlie Cullen. I know a mouth full right! Now my mother was "born again" as a vampire shortly after my birth. It was the only way for my father to save the love of his life.

That was almost nine years ago to the date. Now why would I be in college if I was only nine years old? Easy. I look and I act like your typical eighteen year old. I grew up quickly, becoming fully mature when I turned the ripe old age of seven human years. Forever frozen in the body of an adult in their late teens or early twenties. In some ways I am the epitome of a child's greatest wish: to grow up fast and to never worry about getting old. The Peter Pan Syndrome as some would call it. However, there is a down side: never having a normal life! Never to know what it is like to have friends, to go to parties, to enjoy life to the fullest, to find…love.

Which brings me to where I am today, standing in the dormitories of UCLA. I had to fight my family tooth and nail to have them allow me to experience college life with no strings attached. And when I mean no strings, I mean no mind-reading father, no future seeing Aunt, no emotionally challenged Uncle. This was something that I wanted to experience for me. I needed to branch out and learn to take care of myself. Learn who I really was and what I wanted. Granted, my family and I will be around together forever, but I was ready to live the human side of my life. The side of me that has been itching to be set free. To be able to do so entails leaving my family.

And a large family at that! You already met my father, Edward, who is the mind reader and can read everyone's mind except for my mother. Bella has a very special and unique gift of being able to block others from her own mind. Now that is a gift I wished I had. Especially during the last year or so while I was planning this college experience before going public. Come on, what teenager really wants their father poking around inside their head. Granted, I did not have a normal teenage life. No boyfriends or really any friends for that matter. I lived a very sheltered life. Another reason to be here at UCLA!

Next are my Grandmother and Grandfather, Esme and Carlisle. The two most compassionate people you will ever find. Esme loves to take care of me. I was a child to her just as much so as I was to my mom and dad. She is somewhat of the peace keeper in the house hold of vampires. Someone has to be when you have six frozen forever teenagers. Carlisle is a doctor and the best damn one I know. How can you not be the best when you have lived for over three hundred years?

Then there are my aunts and uncles.

Aunt Alice is the seer of the family. She can see the future but it is not always set in stone. The future is based off of decisions that are made. She can "see" everyone in my family except for me. Grandpa thinks it has something to do with me being a Halfling. I call it a blessing! Now Aunt Alice also has another talent, or at least she thinks so, I call it madness: she's a shopaholic. But thanks to her my dorm room is awesome looking and I am stocked for the entire year with new clothes! My Uncle Jasper is Aunt Alice's husband and he can feel emotions of people or can manipulate emotions onto others. An empath. It does come in handy, especially when I was sitting around the table a few weeks back discussing my educational future with the rest of my family. Let's just say it could have ended much differently. I may be here without the blessing of my family.

Aunt Rose is the beauty of the family and I am the apple of her eye. She is really the only one that totally thinks this whole living forever thing sucks. She thought her life was stolen from her. The biggest thing that she hated was never to be able to have children. But that changed when I came along and she began to live vicariously through Bella. She is like a second mother to me and I am like a daughter to her. Her husband, my Uncle Emmett is the largest but most gentle of the family. Do not let his size scare you. He is actually just a big teddy bear and is the Joker of the family.

Speaking of which where is everyone?

"Your Uncles are out scouting the area, making sure there aren't any hidden dangers," Edward said standing in front of the door.

I rolled my eyes. See what I mean about me wanting to get away for a while?

"Renesmee, it's only for precaution," Bella put an arm around my shoulders and squeezed lightly. "This will be the first time you have ever been away without one of us nearby. We worry."

I smiled and looked up to her bright honey gold eyes. "I know, but you don't need to worry. I'm a big girl now, remember?"

Edward smirked. "You will always be our baby girl. And besides you're nine."

"The sun is going to come out in thirty-three minutes, Edward," Aunt Alice poked her head in the door from outside the hallway. "We need to get moving."

Edward nodded and Bella let out an unnecessary breath of air.

"Well, I guess this is it then," I said looking back and forth between my parents and Aunt Alice trying to make it look like I wasn't begging for them to leave.

"Oh, Renesmee, who will go shopping with me?" Aunt Alice stepped fully into the room and gave me hug.

I looked over her shoulder to Bella, knowing full well it won't be her. "Maybe you will finally get Mom to accept the Gucci line of clothing."

"Humph, I think I have a better chance of committing suicide first," Alice pulled away, but kept me at an arm's length. "I really wish I could see you. I know your parents are going to be bugging me regardless. So, stay out of trouble and be good. That way Edward won't be the first vampire to have a coronary."

I smiled. Not sure how to really answer. Yes, I was planning on staying out of trouble, but I was also planning on taking full advantage of living life and all the human experiences that I could. "Yes, Aunt Alice I promise."

She looked deep into my chocolate brown eyes for a moment before nodding her head and leaving. "Fifteen minutes left."

Edward and Bella walked over to me and wrapped their cold arms around me for one final family hug. Bella's shoulders were shaking with quiet sobs. I knew that if she were human she would be able to make the Nile River look tame.

"Mom, it's only for a few months and then I'll be home for the winter holidays," I tried to console her.

Mom shook her head. "It's not that, I'm just scared that you'll never want to come back home."

How could she think such a thing? "I'll always come back home. I need to do this though. For me, remember?"

Edward gave me one final squeeze on my shoulder before taking Bella's hand. "Come on Bella, it's time to leave. Our daughter's roommate will be arriving shortly and the sun is going to make its appearance in a few minutes."

The two of them walked at a human pace to the door while I followed. They turned and looked at me with sad eyes one final time before exiting my room and walking down the hallway. My eyes stayed on their backs until they turned the final corner. I closed my door and leaned against it sighing. Finally, freedom to think, to feel, to react and make decisions on my own. I looked around my sparsely decorated room for a moment while my back was against the door.

"Okay, first things first," I pushed myself off the door and began to unpack my clothes. Thanks to Aunt Alice I will not have the need to go shopping for anything. I think she prepared me an outfit for everyday I will be here on top of any special occasions.

I reached for my iPod and put the earbuds into my ears. I had my playlist set to shuffle and began to unpack. With my vampire side, meaning my speed, I managed to get everything put away and the bed made within an hour. Then again it probably was not that hard to do considering the size of the dorm room was about the size of my closest back home.

I went to my bed to lay down squealing when one of my favorite songs came on. I closed my eyes and began to sing.

"_1-2-3 Like a bird I sing  
Cause you've given me the most beautiful set of wings  
I'm so glad you're here today  
Cause tomorrow I might have to go and  
1-2-3 Like a bird I sing  
Cause you've given me the most beautiful set of wings  
I'm so glad you're here today  
Cause tomorrow I might have to go and fly away  
Fly away, Fly Away, Fly away, Fly away  
Fly_

1-2-3 Like a bird I sing  
Cause you've given me the most beautiful set of wings"

I let the final notes breeze through my mouth and opened my eyes to a set of bright blue eyes staring back at me.

"You have a beautiful voice," a girl who looked to be about eighteen and with dark hair said to me. "You must be Renee-smee Masen."

At first I looked at her with confusion on the last name she used, but then remembered that it was suggested to use my father's given name for security purposes. We can't have certain people know who I really am. She held out her hand for me to shake. I sat up and took her hand. "Close, Renesmee and you must be Bridget Sanders."

She smiled revealing a perfect row of white teeth. "Yep, but everyone calls me Bee, don't ask why. You know like a bumble bee?"

I smiled in return. "Okay, I won't."

Bee looked around the room for a moment. "Hmmm, my mother was right, these dorm rooms are small. And plain."

Small was not the word I would have used. Pint size was more like it. "Yeah, I'm really surprised they are able to get two sets of beds, dressers, and desks in here."

Bee walked over to the other side of the room where the other bed was. She put her hands on her hips and her eyes glazed over in concentration. "You know we can stack the beds up over here," she pointed to the wall close to the only window in the room. "Then move the desks over there to the far wall next to the closet. Stack the dressers on top of each other for the TV to be higher up and make it more like a sitting area."

I glanced around to visualize her thinking and it sounded like a good idea. I shrugged my shoulders. "It would seem like it might open up more floor space."

Bee had a wide smile on her face. "We can always try it out and if we don't like it we can move everything back."

Together Bee and I began to shift the furniture around. I had to constantly remind myself to not use my full strength, especially when it came time to lift the twin size bed up on to the other one.

"So, Renesmee, where are you from?" Bee asked after we moved the dressers to the far wall.

"A little of everywhere," I started. "My family moved around a lot."

"I know what that's like," Bee started. "My dad's in the Navy. So I have been uprooted a few times. Is your dad serving as well?"

I shook my head. "No, we just like to move. It helps keep us on our toes." _And out of prying eyes._ I wanted to add.

"Where were you born?"

"Um, Washington State. What about you?"

"New York. What are you majoring in?"

I chewed on my lip. I haven't really thought about what I planned on studying. I came to understand more of my human side and to see how humans act with each other. So far I have learned that they like to talk.

"Not sure yet, I am actually interested in the way people interact with each other. You?"

"Then you would probably love my major. Physiology. "

For the next two hours or so while putting our room together we continued to ask questions and getting to know each other. I learned that Bee hated most green vegetables, but loves the color green. She has a younger brother who's ten. Her favorite food is lasagna and has a belly button ring that her parents don't know about.

After all the furniture was rearranged we stood around the wide open space looking around.

"I think you're right," I started. "It does seem like we have a little more room. We could probably fit a small couch in here now."

Bee nodded. "It's still missing something."

I watched as Bee made a small circle, her eyes never leaving the walls. I wasn't sure what she was looking at.

"Got it," Bee almost shouted. "Paint! I'm thinking purple walls, like the purple in your quilt with giant lime green polka-dots like the color of my bedspread."

"We can paint the walls?" I asked not remembering that part of the rules.

"Yeah, as long as we paint it back at the end of the year."

I took my phone out of my pocket and noticed that it was already close to five. "Well, maybe that can be tomorrow's project. Are you planning on going to the orientation at six?" I asked her.

"Yeah, it's required that all freshmen go, I think," Bee said as she walked over to her dresser. "I'm going to go ahead and take a quick shower."

I nodded. I looked into the mirror that was hanging up on the door debating if I should change as well. I was wearing my favorite pair of dark skinny jeans and a light blue short sleeve sweeter shirt and my blue Converse shoes. It was freshmen orientation on a college campus, how dressed up does one need to get?

Bee walked out of the bathroom wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt so I knew that I was safe in what I had on. Bee went to her bed and grabbed her room key as well as her wallet.

I put my phone back into my pocket and grabbed my own set of keys and wallet. "Anything else you think we should bring?"

Bee shrugged her shoulders as she made her way toward the door. "I don't think so. We should be getting a big packet of stuff so we shouldn't need any paper or pens or anything."

I followed her out closing the door behind me double checking to see it was locked before making our way down the hall.

"I don't think I'm ever going to get used to this," Bee mentioned as we made our way to the center of our dorm.

"What?"

"The fact that we're in a co-ed dorm. It's just weird knowing that there are guys sleeping in here as well."

I looked around and noticed all the guys that were walking in the same direction as we were. "Yeah, but we're split up by floors. It's not like we're all sleeping in the same rooms."

"Oh, I know, but it's weird."

I didn't really understand. So what, there will be guys on the second, fourth, and sixth floors of our building. It's not like they have access to the girls' floors. Each door required our security key card to get in.

"What classes are you taking?" Bee started up the small talk again as we walked to the Student Commons building.

"Oh, the basic classes right now. English 101, World History 101 and Music Appreciation on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. My Tuesday and Thursday classes are Biology and Calculus."

"Really what time is your Cal class?"

"I think its early morning."

"Wow, I think we might be in the same class. Would that not be cool to be rooming together as well as taking some classes together?"

Bee continued to talk about her class schedule while I listened with one ear and took in my surroundings as we walked. I came to UCLA on a whim. Never went for a tour. I only knew about the school from what I saw on the internet. While researching for colleges to attend my number one requirement was it had to be sunny. After spending the last nine years of my life cooped up in some of the rainiest places on earth I was ready to feel the heat and see the brightness of the sun. With a houseful of vampires, the sun is a luxury that I never have been able to indulge much in.

That and it helps that my family will not be able to just "pop" in whenever they wanted to. This experience needed to be for me and me only.

The campus was huge and it took Bee and I about twenty minutes to walk from the dormitory over to the Student Commons. When we entered the brick building it was already packed. She and I followed the signs to the tables for us to pick up our information and check in. After receiving our welcome packets we took seats in the back of the room.

"God, this is exciting," Bee exclaimed. "Look at how many cute guys there are."

I looked around and did agree that there appeared to be some very cute guys but not any of them would be able to hold my interest for long. For starters, they would age, where as I will live forever. It will take some one extra special for me to find them interesting.

A small bell that reminded me of a dinner bell rang loudly through the air and everyone began to quiet down as an older gentleman who appeared to be in his sixties walked up to a podium. "Good evening all incoming freshmen. My name is Doctor John, I am the President of UCLA and I want to be the first to welcome you to a new year."

I sat there with arms and my legs crossed trying not to nod off to sleep while Doctor John went over all the rules and what is expected of us and the requirements for graduating and policies for when we do get into trouble. To me it seemed like a waste of time when all anyone would need to do is read the ten page packet that was in our welcome package.

We all applauded when Doctor John finally announced that we were free to go. Bee and I ended up leaving the Student Commons building and walked in the direction of Café 1919 to grab something to eat before heading back to the dorm. The place was packed. I was thinking that the entire campus had the same idea of getting a late dinner. It took us close to an hour before we finally received our food and since there was not any place to sit inside so we went ahead and walked back to our room.

By the time I unlocked the door I was tired and hungry. I was glad that I spent the last six months or so trying to wean myself off of drinking blood and learning to live solely on human foods. That is another benefit of being a Halfling. I do not get the bloodlust like that of my vampire family. I always have been able to go weeks without hunting. Whereas my family had to go at least once a week sometimes more if they were planning on being around a lot of humans.

I threw all my stuff onto my desk and settled onto the floor with my chicken parmesan while Bee went to turn on the TV.

"What do you want to watch?" she asked while flipping through the channels. "Oh, look, **Interview with a Vampire** is on. I love Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in this. Have you seen this movie?"

I tried not to role my eyes. I think it was one of the first movies that I watched with Uncle Emmett and the two of us laughed the entire time. The theories and myths that Hollywood and the literature world have come up with for my kind were so false and many times, stupid. But then again, I guess it needed to be to help keep our secrets safe.

"Yeah, I've seen it a couple of times."

"You mind if we watch it? I mean we don't have to if you don't want to."

I stabbed a piece of chicken and put it in my mouth. "No, its fine."

I was finished with my dinner before the opening credits were completed and quickly changed into pajamas and climbed into bed which was the top bunk. I learned while Bee and I staked the beds that she was afraid of heights. I told her that was fine that I wouldn't mind the top. I'm not even sure how far I made it into the movie before closing my eyes and having sleep take over my mind.

With the sleep came the same dream that I have been having for the last few months. The faceless man hunts me every night. He just stands there looking at me. I'm never able to tell much about him except that he looks lost. I couldn't tell you if he's tall or short. Light skinned or dark. The only thing is his dark eyes are always looking into the woods and back at me. I take a step forward and he would take a step back. A couple of times he has taken a forward step, but I backed away. The dream was always frustrating and on some mornings when waking up I was more tired than when I went to bed.

The bright sun made itself visible through the blinds. That is going to need to be fixed today. Some nice dark curtains are going to be hung up and the sooner the better. I sat up and banged my head on the low ceiling. I rubbed the top of my head for a minute while I looked around.

I smiled as I remembered that I was now a freshman in college. And that today will be marking the first full day to my human independence and freedom.

"Oh, good, you're awake," a groggy voice called out.

I jumped down from my bed and landing softly on the balls of my feet in a crouch position. I straightened myself up and adjusted my shorts and shirt. I looked up and saw Bee's blue eyes looking right at me.

"Wow," she breathed. "Were you a gymnast or something?"

I blushed totally forgetting to climb down my bed instead of jumping from it. I guess the typical human would not do that. "No, I have bunk beds back home." I lied. "So, we still plan on painting?" I said trying to change the subject.

Bee's eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning. "Most definitely. I know that there is a Home Depot not too far away. We could walk there, but with all the stuff we may have to carry back it might not be a good idea. Then again, I am sure there will be a lot of guys that wouldn't mind helping us carry things back."

I nodded and walked to my closet to get a change of clothes. "Okay then, walking it is. I'm going to get changed and then we can leave."

I walked toward the bathroom with my bag of toiletries and clothes. "Oh, by the way, I need to find something for that window. The sun first thing in the morning is not the most welcoming sight on the eyes."

"There's a Bed, Bath and Beyond that's across the street from the Home Depot."

I smiled. "Perfect."

By the end of my second day with Bee I was beginning to call her a friend and I was thankful to have made a human friend. If the next nine months or so of the school year is anything like the last twenty-four hours than I am glad that I made the decision to branch out on my own. I'm glad that my parents have given me the most beautiful set of wings. Because without them I wouldn't be able to fly away.


	2. SOLO

Thanks to those that have read and reviewed. My updates should be consistent. I am keeping ahead of myself and will see to the end of this story. I have many ideas with lots of ups and downs. Combining a great deal of other N/J stories that have been floating in my mind.

Chapter 2 Playlist: S-O-L-O By Iyaz

I don't want to walk this earth if I gotta do it solo

Jacob's POV

I did it. If you would have asked me nearly ten years ago if I would have been able to keep going I think I would have laughed in your face and said not a chance in hell. But somehow, it did. Somehow I managed to pick myself up and walk away. Walked away from the one girl I loved and to this date the only girl I ever loved.

_I left once as soon as the damn wedding invitation came to the house. The pain in my heart was unreal. I subjected myself to my wolf form for months. Something though drew me back and I watched from a distance as Bella and __**him**__ were finally married. When she came to me and told me her plans, the pain that I thought was buried deep inside ripped my heart open again. I left. Seems to be a habit. Yet, again just a few weeks later I was drawn back but this time when I walked in to __**their **__house and saw my Bella broken, bruised, beaten, sick and the looks of life being sucked out of her from the inside I knew I would not be able to stick around this time. No matter how much Bella begged me._

_She was dying and I couldn't sit there and watch not being able to do something. I went wolf and said goodbye to the girl I loved._

Now don't get me wrong, I love girls, but I have yet to find _the_ girl. And after wandering the west coast for the last eight years or so I decided to call it quits on my lone wolf side and make a go at being human for awhile and give school a try. And lone wolf is the perfect term to use. I have not heard a single pack member in my head for about six years. Since I do not call and check in with anyone in La Push I had no clue as to what happened. It could be one of three things: I was out of their range, they all stopped phasing or they all died. Since I was starting to become a little lonely I figured the least I could do is get a GED and head off to college. Need something to pass my time with.

For the first few years I have worked my way down the West Coast never staying in one place long enough to call or make it home. Just enough time to collect a few paychecks and begin growing a decent size savings account. I have been passing my time between working at body shops and enjoying the body of random chicks. I always up and left the girls before any of them could even get the word _I Love You_ out of their mouth. If I didn't imprint on them, no sense in wasting any more time than a few nights of taking care of my animal desires.

"Hey, Jake, dude," my frat brother John Carter said walking into my room slamming the door against the wall. "Time to get up, it's Saturday and the place is swarming with freshmen hotties!"

Which brings me to where I am today, a brother in the Pi Mu Beta house and I am pleased to say that I'm one of the youngest, or so they think. There is something that can be said about never aging. Even though I'm really in my late twenties, I do not look a day over twenty one. I am also their only under classmen brother that was rushed freshmen year. After nine years of not letting anyone knowing the real me, lying became second nature.

I still phase on a regular basis and have had some easy run-ins with bloodsuckers that have tried to feed in the area, but now I feel like I have marked my territory so to speak and UCLA is mine. On average a leech has come onto the campus as least once a week. I have to give them credit though, what better place to hunt than on a college campus. Such naïve young women and tough guys make for perfect hunting grounds. Chances were with it being the first day back for the campus being open to incoming freshmen I will be on high alert.

"John, get the hell out of here! Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" I pulled the covers over my head and began to pray to the gods that he would take the hint and leave.

"Man, it's Saturday, the place is covered up already," John walked farther into my room and opened the blinds. "Look at all that fresh meat just waiting to find them a boy toy. Mhhmm, all that young ass."

I rolled my eyes. I was as big as a player as the next guy. I couldn't even tell you the number of girls I have gone out with nor have I slept with. Chances were it was roughly the same number. I had to admit though since coming to UCLA a year ago I have had more hook-ups then I had in the last eight years. Truth be told though a part of me was beginning to get tired of one night stands or three night stands. I have not made it any longer than seeing a girl for more than four dates. My heart was not ready for that, nor do I think it ever will be. Lucky for me, as long as I kept phasing I had multiple lifetimes to find _her_, my imprint if she actually exists. I have thought about leaving this summer and going somewhere else, but every time I do I get this strange feeling that I am supposed to be here. Maybe this is the year? Not going to hold my breath though.

"How about we let their parents settle their young in the dorms before we go marking our territory?" I asked as I sat up in bed rubbing my eyes.

I have been exhausted the last couple of nights. I picked up a fresh scent two nights ago and I have been running myself ragged trying to track and kill them. They always get within my reach before disappearing or recognizing my smell and retreating. Fine by me if they leave, as long as they stay away from the campus.

"Jake, you look like shit," John turned away from the window eyeing me.

"Gee, thanks, didn't know I was trying to impress you."

I stood up and pulled on my shirt and grabbed a pair of jeans before walking across the hall to the one bathroom in the house. At first it was odd to me to have only one bathroom with close to twenty brothers but then I saw the bathroom. It looked more like a gym locker room then a bathroom. I was never one to be shy of walking around in just boxers or even have everything hang out, it took no time getting used to the community facilities.

So when John walked in and stood next to the urinal and watched as I took a piss it was the start of yet another day.

"Does Henry have anything special planned for the weekend?" I asked as I tucked my goods away the urinal flushing as I walked toward the sink to wash my hands.

I looked into the mirror to see John shrug his shoulders. "Not anything that I know of. The typical stuff I guess."

I nodded. Henry Nixon was an okay guy I guess. He was the President of the house and it was also his last year. He has been the president for two years and finally cutting his loses when he graduates in the spring from Medical School. The only down fall is that he was strict when it came to our studies. No parties allowed unless everyone was holding B average. He would prefer an A, but took what we could give him. If one term you dropped below a B you were kicked out of the house. Who would have thought that me, high school dropout, would actually be doing well in college. I guess I had good motivation, free living here in the house.

"House meeting in five," a voice boomed through the house.

I groaned. The idea of a meeting seemed pointless. It's not like there are any new brothers. We won't be getting any for a few weeks when Rush starts. I would prefer to go back to bed then sit though a meeting.

I followed the rest of my brothers down the hall and made our way to the basement which was the largest room in the house. When I parked my ass on one of the large beanbags I looked around and saw that all the brothers who have not graduated have returned already from summer break.

"Okay guys," Henry stood up in the middle of the room. "It is a new school year and I am glad to see all of you have returned. I have a couple of announcements first.

"Rush week is in three weeks. Be sure to keep an eye out for any of those you think will make good additions to the House. You know what we want and need. We have seven spots this year.

"Next grades. Remember nothing below a B average. I will also need everyone's schedules by next week. That gives you all a week to get your classes squared away. If I do not have them in my box by next Friday I will not hesitate to go to the Dean and get them myself.

"Last year there have been some issues with some of the Houses going overboard on parties. This year the university has decided that each House is allowed one party a month. With that being said I have decided that our week will be the last Saturday of every month."

The entire basement erupted in whines and groans. The partying was nice every week. Now we are going from four sometimes five parties a month to only one.

"Man that sucks!" Brian Hans called out. "Why does the entire campus need to be punished when it wasn't our fault?"

Henry just raised his hand to quiet us. "It's just the rules and you all know that I like to follow the rules. This House is one of the most prestigious, so let's not get on the President or the Dean's naughty list.

"Now, you all also know there was an issue last year with a girl. So I am asking that no girls are allowed in the house after ten during the week. Weekends are all free days so you can do what you want.

"Finally, as you all know this is my last year. Before Christmas break I will need recommendations on who you want to take my place. So think long and hard. This house has had my family name on it for years and I would hate to hand it over to someone who will run that name into the ground."

Everyone looked around to each other. I could tell they were trying to figure out who would be more likely to fill those shoes. Up to me, no one.

"Okay, all, it's Saturday and the campus opened back up last night. Many of the freshmen have already been here for a close to a day. Orientation was last night. Everyone has a free weekend," Henry began to smile. "Go have fun and remember no parties this weekend!"

After our little meeting the brothers slowly made their way back up stairs. I could hear most of them up in the kitchen. Pots, pans, doors and drawers banging around. It has been a Saturday tradition to make a huge buffet style breakfast and we all chipped in. Rather it was help cooking or cleaning up.

I went to stand when I felt a cool hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Henry looking at me with his gray eyes. "Jake, I want to say that I have my eye on you this year."

My brow creased in confusion. "Why? Did I do something wrong last year that I don't know about?"

Henry shook his head. "No, but I think you could do this. You might be young, but I think you have the heart to make sure the Hose continues the way it should. Something tells me that you're used to dealing with a lot of brothers."

I smiled thinking back to when I had my pack brothers, the numbers being around fifteen. Yes it was trying and annoying on more than one level.

"Big family," I finally said.

Henry nodded. "Well, let's see how the year goes, shall we."

I stood there as I watched Henry climb the stairs. Did I really want to be the President of the House? I have already made the decision that this would be my last year here if I did not find what I was looking for. But then again it has been nice to be part of a family again after being alone for so long.

By the time I made my way upstairs breakfast was laid out and everyone was digging in. I couldn't help but smile at how even this House of brothers was like a pack of wolves. I went to the fridge and grabbed the gallon of OJ and glasses. I poured a few and sat them in the middle. I took the jug and finished it right it off before throwing it into plastic recycle bin.

I looked out the window. Our house was a good ways from campus about a fifteen minute hike to the center, but I could stills see the activity of the students that were just beginning to get in. And I had to agree with John's earlier statement there seemed to be some good fresh meat floating around out there.

"Hey, Jake?" someone said.

I moved my focus over to the table and picked up a plate to load it down with eggs, bacon, toast, and pancakes. "Yeah."

"Some of us going to walk around, you want to come?"

I shrugged my shoulder. I really wanted to go to the outlining area of trees and phase shortly. My senses where much more heightened in my wolf form. Even though it was daytime and the chances of there being and leeches out were slim to none, but I still didn't want to take any chances.

"Not right now, there are some things I want to get done first."

I quickly inhaled the rest of my food and put the plate in the dish washer. I also grabbed the other dirty plates and silverware and began to clean up some. I turned out of the kitchen and made it to my room where I grabbed my wallet and shoes before heading outside into the already warm mid morning LA heat.

Once I was outside I inhaled deeply. Nothing out of the ordinary. I continued to walk around the perimeter of the campus constantly inhaling and trying to determine if anything seemed out of the ordinary. After one complete lap and two hours later with nothing out of the norm I went over to the Commons to grab something to eat.

The Commons have always been the busy place on campus. Just about every student passes through here on a daily basis. I grabbed a few slices of pizza and went to sit down by the bookstore and watched as girls went in and out. My eyes focusing on each one and like all the other times I have sat here to watch, _she_ never showed.

The remainder of the weekend passed by in a blur. The House was laid back with not much going on. Those that were just getting in finished packing while others stayed in the basement and played with the million of games that we have. I patrolled and I slept. And it was while sleeping that my past always seems to catch up with me or that my dreams seem to not want me to have any rest.

It's always the same. Me standing in a forest looking around lost. My eyes constantly focused on the dark woods and the shadows. The feeling of needing to be here, but never knowing why until I look up and see a pale figure waling out of the far side. But never the same paleness of the leeches. Pale like my Bella. But I know it's not her, after all she's dead now. She's one of them.

I learned a long time ago that she made her choice and I wasn't it.

I rolled over and looked out my open blinds of the campus. The only Co-ed dorm within my sight and I could see that many of the rooms were already dark for the night. My eyes scanned the windows of the semi darkened rooms finally freezing on a room that was on the third floor. One of the girl's floors. I figure stood looking out of the window. A girl. Her hair drawn over her shoulders. I watched for a few moments until she pulled the blinds and moved a heavy current to block out any additional light. My eyes continued to stay focused on that room until the fell heavy and finally closing on their own accord.

I woke up around ten the next morning for my first class. I finally made the decision of majoring in Sports Medicine. Most of my classes would require me to spend a lot of time over in the Phys Ed building. I managed to roll myself out of bed and get changed. Within minutes I was out the door to begin another year as a college student.

"Jake," a small voice said from behind me.

I stopped mid stride as I saw a blond walking toward me. She looked vaguely familiar but I couldn't put a name to the face.

"Hey," I smiled to be pleasant.

She hurried up to me and grabbed my forearm. "I was wondering how your summer was."

She and I continued to walk together. "And you are?"

"Brandy," she said with annoyance. "You know the final party for the summer a couple of weeks ago."

I was still confused. After seeing her I realized how very little I knew about the girls I have been with.

"Oh, yeah, right," I faked recognition.

She smiled and then stopped when we were in front of the Science building. "Well this is me. Hope to see you around."

I nodded and watched as she walked into the building. I was still dazed and confused as I finished the walk to my class. That party was only three weeks ago and I do not remember even meeting a girl let alone if we did anything. I know I wasn't drunk because it took a lot to get me drunk. But I do remember that night was the nine year anniversary of Bella's wedding. I was looking for an escape. Something to make me forget.

College life was great. Get up, go to two or three classes, and then go home. Somewhere in there I ate, slept and partied. Other than that not much else. My first year I thought I was crazy to go back to school after years of not even thinking of picking up a book, but I took to it quickly. I think it was because my mind was ready for some instinctual thinking. There just wasn't any more room left for just Bella thoughts. Then the brothers found me and the real fun started.

"Jake," I looked up at the sound of my voice and saw some of my brothers were sitting at the back table in the student commons.

I nodded my head and made my way over to them. The Commons was crowded which didn't surprise me none. It was close to lunch and the cafeteria was housed here.

I plopped my books onto the table and reached over to grab the extra sandwich off of J.R. Simmons tray. "Dude, that's mine."

I smirked and patted his stomach. "Doesn't look like you need any more food."

J.R. was on the foot ball team last year, but busted his knee bad. Lost his scholarship as well as his chance to play. When I first met him he was ripped and toned like me, but since his non-playing days he has really let himself go.

"Man, it takes a lot of work to look like this."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure it does."

"So, any one welcome any cute freshmen yet?" John said.

I searched the Commons and like any other day nothing really fascinating stood out at me. Many of the girls were just nameless faces with a warm place to call home for about ten minutes.

"Oh, I have seen some hotties."

"You think anyone with a red snapper is hot," I said after finishing off the sandwich and then stood up. "Going for a run. I'll see you all later."

Running is freeing to me. Rather I am in my wolf or as a human it allowed me to think without all the distractions. And for the first week of school I managed to get myself into a routine. No distractions but deep down I was ready to find my imprint because I was the point where I don't want to walk this earth if I gotta do it solo.

And I know she's here. I can feel it. The pull of steel cables. I just can't get a grasp on the direction.

I reach up and pull the blinds down on the window, my eyes catching the same girl looking out her window a week ago from the dorm across from mine. I watch as she lowered her curtain.

I let out a heavy sigh and roll over. Yep, Solo for the rest of my long life.


	3. I'm Your Biggest Fan

Thank you all for the reviews and the next couple of chapters are more of a filler to set up for some big things to come. Again thanks to my Beta's for helping me out on this. Enjoy and remember to leave me your thoughts and suggestions

Chapter 3 Playlist: _Paparazzi_ by Lady Gaga

I'm Your Biggest Fan

Renesmee POV

The first week of college life has been great as well as sucked big time. I have never been around so many humans in my life. In each of my classes there must be a hundred students. The only one that I would consider small was biology and I think that's only because you can only fit about forty people into the biology labs. The smell of the humans has been enticing, but nothing I can't withstand. I do know that I will need to plan a hunting trip soon. I must have been kidding myself if I thought I could handle all the human interaction. Of course I have been to high school with my family, but that was nothing compared to college.

My class schedule wasn't too bad and lucky for me I have yet had the need to set an alarm to get up. When you live with a family that doesn't sleep they have been generous enough to call me every morning. This not only has been waking me up, but my poor roommate, who I quickly learned is a night owl. By no means is Bee a party person, but she is a procrastinator, waiting until the last minute to quickly read through her work. Lights out for me is about eleven but for her it was never before two in the morning. I was still trying to figure out how she can go an entire day with just hours of sleep. Even though I'm a Halfling I still required at least eight hours of sleep.

I groan as I hear Lady Gaga's _Paparazzi_ next to my ear. I jump down quietly as to not disturb Bee anymore than necessary.

"Morning, mother," I tried not to sound disgruntle. "You do realize it's seven in the morning on Sunday and I don't have class, right?"

"Renesmee, I do realize that, but I just wanted to check to see how you've been doing?"

I rolled my eyes. "I talked to you last night before I went to be. So I'm fine, except from being woken up."

"Well, your father has been worried about you."

"Mom and Dad," since I knew he was listening as well. "I'm fine. I told you that this is something that I wanted to do by myself and that means you not calling to check up on me every morning and every night."

"Well, we did call for a reason; Alice mentioned it was going to rain down there and something about a rain jacket."

"I was planning on hunting later this afternoon so tell Alice thank you."

"Hunt?" Dad spoke up for the first time. "Are you having problems?"

"No, Dad, this is just a little overwhelming. A lot more people here than in high school, but nothing I can't handle. I'm actually doing really well, but I don't want to chance anything."

I could visualize Dad nodding his head. "Well, better safe than sorry. Remember anytime it gets too much for you to handle you can come home."

"Not going to happen," I let a small laugh escape my lips. "I'm getting along with my roommate and people have slowly started to open up to me. I'm not like a total freak out here."

"You were never a freak," Mom said quietly.

"I need to get going. I'm helping Bee today on a project for her Phys class."

I knew I had to change the subject. Me being a freak has been a conversation that I have had numerous times. I don't really belong in the human world nor do I belong in the vampire. I straddle the fence. In some ways it was great in others it sucked. It made trying to have a guy interested in me and vice versa hard. After all, when I live forever why would I want to watch someone I love die. And I was already set on never allowing someone go through the fire pits of hell to transform. From what Mom has told me privately, it's not worth it. I'm definitely not worth it.

I have had only one person interested in me, another Halfling like myself, but once dad was able to see his true thoughts and feeling for me as well as his plans, that boy was sent packing. It might be annoying having a father that can read minds, but it does come in handy sometimes.

"Well, okay, bye honey," Mom and Dad said bye before I heard the dial tone.

I closed my phone and climbed back into bed. I pulled the drapes open slightly to look out the window. Yep, I wasn't going to bet against Alice today about the weather. After a couple of more minutes of attempting to get back to sleep I finally found it useless and decided to go ahead and get my hunt in. I knew that I was planning on being at the hospital for a few hours and with all the blood around the place I did not need to be in any terrible situations that I would not be able to get myself out of.

I quickly changed my clothes and then ran at a human pace down the stairs and outside. It was still early and the sun was just starting to make its bright yellow face present even with the thick black clouds that loomed. I tugged my way around the perimeter of the school to the only wooded area. I knew that this was going to be risky hunting so close to humans, but it was my only option. My parents decided that I didn't really need a car while down here and it's not like I can take the subway to the Redwood forest.

Within a matter of minutes I caught the scent of a few deer and took off. Hunting was an escape for me, the only time I gave myself fully to my vampire side. After two deer I knew I was good to go for a couple of months. I quickly dug a whole and buried the carcasses and made my way back to the dorms.

I unlocked the door and walked in. I exhaled quietly to see that Bee was still asleep. I grabbed some clean clothes and my towel. I quickly took a shower the water turned all the way to hot. With a body temperature that runs over a hundred I barely noticed the difference between hot and cold.

"Hey, Renesmee, you in there?" I could hear Bee's muffled voice on the other side of the door.

"Yeah, who else would you think it is?"

"I gotta pee!"

I turned the water off and climbed out. I put towel around my hair and pulled a bathrobe around my body. I opened the door to see Bee with her legs crossed and squirming.

"Oh, thank God," Bee raced passed me and didn't even bother closing the door.

After a few minutes Bee walked out and went to the closet.

"So, what do you think we should wear to the hospital?" Bee asked going through her clothes.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Whatever makes you comfortable."

Bee pulled on a black shirt and pair of blue jeans. "I guess I'll go casual as well since you did even though everything you wear makes it look like you just walked off of the run way."

I could feel my cheeks heat up with a blush. I knew when I first unpacked that my clothes would stand out. But thankfully I was able to rein Alice in somewhat when we went school shopping. Not only did she stock me up in casual wear but some high end dresses and shoes as well. So far no need for any of it.

"So what exactly are you supposed to be doing at the hospital?"

"My project is child psychology and we are to interview children from all different aspects of life. Like kids in school, kids from separated parents and kids that are not doing well health wise. See the difference. Is there a difference? Can a child that is dying be as happy as one that has both parents and the white picket fence?"

I turned the words over in my head. In all honesty if she knew my real age she could interview me. "What about you? Where would you fall?" I asked realizing I did not know that much about her family or childhood.

Bee backed from the closet and toward the bathroom to brush her hair. She looked into the mirror and I could see her eyes on me. She shrugged. "Well, besides moving around a lot I guess I was pretty happy. Never really had many friends. We only stayed in an area for about eighteen months before moving again. I am actually excited to be here in college finally. A place that I can call home for at least four years and I got to meet you."

She smiled shyly at me. "And you, what was your home life like?"

I knew I had to tread lightly. "Um, my parents are both young. Married and madly in love. I swear it's like they are constantly in high school. My aunts and uncles live extremely close by and I almost consider them my second set of parents. And my grandparents live with us. My family is very overprotective. I swear it's like they won't even let me cross the street without one of them holding my hand. And like you, I am glad to be here as well. I get the chance to find out who I am without someone breathing down my back."

I was impressed that I was able to stick to somewhat of the truth without giving too much of my secrets away. Since the weather was still pretty nice out we decided to take the bus to the Children's' Hospital. Deep down it felt sort of strange to go visit sick children that I didn't know. Let alone, I have never been around any kids. It was not in my deck of cards to go to elementary school. By the time my growth slowed down I was a sophomore. Plus I had my entire family with me.

"Good morning ladies," a plump older lady said who was sitting at a large circular desk. "What can I do for you?"

Bee cleared her throat. "I am from the Psychology department at UCLA and I am doing a research project. Can you direct me to the Children's Ward, please?"

The woman had a knowing smile. "Ah, you must be in Dr. Phillips class," Bee nodded her head in agreement. "Take the elevators up to the fourth floor. Enjoy."

Together, we made our way to the Children's ward. When the elevator doors opened my nose was hit with a variety of smells. The prominent smell being that of blood, the other of death. And it was the smell of death that was the hardest to adjust to. How did Grandpa work around this everyday for the last three hundred years?

Bee lead the way to the nurses' station. After us singing in and given visitor passes we were granted free reign of the floor.

"I don't understand," I started as I clipped on my name badge. "What exactly are we going to do?"

Bee went to the first door and pulled out the clip board. "We are going to visit with George."

My brow pulled together in confusion. "Who's George?"

Bee continued to read. "George is eleven years old and has liver cancer."

I swallowed hard. I wasn't sure if I was ready for this. Not only was I going to see someone poor boy that was technically close to my own age, I was going to see a boy for the first time and seeing him on his death bed.

"Um, I am going to look around," I started to take a step back. "I've never been in hospitals much so all of this is a little over whelming."

Bee nodded her head. "That's cool, how about I meet you at the nurses' station in about an hour?"

I smiled happy that she understood. "Okay, see you in an hour."

I watched as she opened the door to George's room and once the door was closed I turned and walked down the hall. I tried not to appear nosy or creepy as I peered into some of the open door ways as I roamed the hallway. I walked around the entire floor in about ten minutes before I finally stopped in front of a giant glass walled room. I watched for a moment as I saw children of various ages playing. They had video games, Barbie's, cars, board games. You name it they had it. My eye caught the attention of someone sitting on the floor playing quietly by herself. She mumbled softly to the dolls she was holding and brushing down the blond hair of the Barbie.

I slowly opened the door and walked in. I smiled and knelled down so I was closer to her eye level. "Hi," I whispered.

She looked up at me and her huge brown eyes stared at me in wonderment. "Hi."

I sat down next to her and picked up a doll. "My name is Renesmee, what's your name?"

"Bailey."

I touched her nose. "That is a very pretty name for a very pretty girl."

I watched as Bailey's cheeks turned red. "You want to play with me?"

"Sure."

For the next hour I sat and played Barbie's with Bailey. She didn't speak much, but she seemed content just to have company. I never once saw her parents or any other child talk to her. I learned afterwards when I met Bee at the Nurses station that Bailey had stage four leukemia. I may not have studied much in the sciences, but I did know that stage four meant not much time life for her. Even with the help of donors, Bailey was on her last few months of life.

I followed Bee back to the elevators and looked one last time through the glass windows. I poked my head in. "Hey, Bailey, I'll see you again, okay?"

Bailey looked up with a huge smile and bright eyes. "I'll be here."

I walked quietly with Bee on our way back to the dorms deep in thought. Visiting the hospital and seeing an entire floor full of kids that were dying definitely opened my eyes. I never once thought much about my life or that of my family and our immortality. It was just something that was a given. I knew people got old and eventually die. I mean, Grandpa Charlie who I have only seen once in person, but have seen plenty of photos over the years, aged gracefully. I knew that if no major accidents happened he would eventually die peacefully. Or so I hoped.

But not those kids. They all had some deadly disease, mainly being that of cancer. One day they were happy kids who were running and laughing with their friends, the next hooked up to machines with doctors telling them sorry you only have a few months to live if we don't find the right donors. Chemotherapy, radiation, morphine drips, throwing up, losing hair. That's not a way to spend the last few months of life.

"You're awfully quiet," Bee mused as we walked into our room.

"I'm just thinking," I threw my bag on the desk and then lowered myself onto one of the bean bag chairs that we bought last weekend while buying paint and such. "It's sad. I know that kids can get sick like that, but I guess you never realize it until you see it, you know?"

Bee sat next to me and I could tell by the way her eyes darkened that she was thinking the same thing. "Yeah it is, but believe it or not many of them are happy. They've accepted their fate. Most of them are probably looking forward to the time were there won't be any more pain or sicknesses."

I looked at her shocked. "You mean there are some that wish to die?"

Bee shrugged. "I'm not sure if they wish to die, but I think that many of them are ready to find peace. I know I would."

I chewed on my lip as I thought more of what Bee was saying. Part of me agreed, but the other part thought it was morbid. Bailey seemed happy, but I could tell in her eyes that she was sad and who wouldn't be?

Bee slapped her hands down on her knees and lifted herself up to a standing position and then reached her hands out to me to pull me up. "Enough of this sad talk, I think it's time to test our feet in some of the parties that this campus throws."

"I've never been to a party before," I said shyly.

Bee's eyes opened large. "You're kidding?" I shook my head. "Well, we need to get cleaned up and decked out. We need to go find us a party."

"We weren't invited to anything."

Bee put her hands on hips and looked at me. Her mousy brown hair falling into her eyes. "Everyone is invited to parties. They are like a free for all."

After an hour or so Bee and I were both wearing very tight and very short dresses. She was ecstatic that the two of us were about the same size. I was just slightly taller than her, but not by much, only an inch or so.

We closed the door and followed a small crowd of students out the front door. Even from here I was able to hear the loud base of music flowing through the air from the other side of campus. Since neither of us knew where to go we kept following the other groups. A few minutes later we were walking into a giant house and by the Greek symbols over the door way I could tell it was a frat house.

I stayed close to Bee who moved through the house with confidence. I knew she was not a party person, or at least she never mentioned being one, but I could tell that she seemed like this part was in her element. I on the hand felt out of place. The noise of the music, the smell of smoke, the taste of liquor in the air. All of it was intoxicating and nerve wracking. I automatically had a feeling of dread hit my stomach.

"Bee, I'm not sure about this," I said quietly in her ear even though it felt like I was yelling.

She looked over to me and smiled. "Don't worry, just go with the flow. These parties are pretty safe. The campus doesn't let the Houses get away with much. Stick close to me."

I nodded and took hold of her hand as she led me farther into the house. She reached over and grabbed a couple of plastic cups that were filled with a funky orange color juice and handed me one.

I smelled it and wrinkled my nose at the potent smell of liquor. "What is it?"

Bee shrugged her shoulders before bringing the cup to her lips and taking a sip. "Tastes like rum and OJ. Nothing too bad."

I put the cup to my lips and took a small sip and had to try to gag when the warm liquid hit my throat. As a burning sensation running down my throat and to my stomach. I scrunched my noise and looked back into the cup.

"You get used to it," Bee said finishing off her cup and filling up with a red liquid from a punch bowl. "Come on let's dance."

She pulled me along toward what looked like the living room where the music was the loudest. The place was packed shoulder to shoulder with people. I could feel the music pulsing through my bones as people bumped and grinded with each other.

I turned when I felt someone tap on my shoulder. "You want to dance?"

I looked up to the blond hair guy that needed a haircut. He had the surfer look. He wore a pair of board shorts and a wife beater shirt. I was completely over dressed compared to him. I could smell the heavy scent of liquor on his breath and could tell that he should be sleeping not walking around by the way his eyes glazed.

"Um, no, that's alright," I reached behind me for Bee as I felt uneasy being this close to a guy. I'm here with my friend."

He smiled and looked over my shoulder. "That's cool I can dance with the two of you together."

I shook my head. "Not interested right now."

Actually after being here for only a few minutes I was already feeling like I was suffocating. I needed to get out of here.

"I was just getting ready to leave," I said as I took Bee's hand and pulled her with me toward the door.

I took a step off of the front porch and breathed in a deep breath of fresh air. My head was spinning from the pollution that floated around in the house.

"You okay?" Bee asked.

"Yeah, just over whelmed. I think after the hospital and then my first party was a lot to take in for one night."

Bee nodded. "Well, you want to go home?"

I looked up to Bee and could tell that she wanted to stay. "I think I am going to walk around for a bit. You stay and have fun."

I squeezed her hand for emphasis before letting go and walking the rest of the way down the front porch. I turned around one last time to see that Bee already went back inside the house. I realized in that moment that this was the first time I was actually alone since being here at UCLA. I always had Bee close to me or the campus was always buzzing with other students. Now, close to midnight I realized how quiet the campus was. The pulse of the music was still strong as I made my way farther away from the party and closer to my dorm room.

I was a few minutes from the dorm when I heard glass break. I stopped in my tracks and tilted my head to figure out where the sound came from. I high pitched scream caught my attention even more. I inhaled deeply and smelled the sweet scent of my own kind. My stomach dropped to my feet as I began to run at a human pace to the back side of the dorm rooms. I never had to fight my own kind before nor did I know how. My family never saw the need for it since someone was always with me at all times.

I turned the corner and saw the pale skin of a male holding a female by the neck. His lips grazing the pulse point of her neck. I was stunned at what I saw. Since my family hunted animals and not humans I never really grasped that not all vampires hunted the same way. I heard a growl on the other side of the vampire. He turned his head and I followed his gaze to see a giant animal glaring at the vampire. His teeth bared. I didn't know what the animal was, but I did know that I was not going to stick around to find out. I quickly grabbed the girls hand and ran back toward the front of the dorm.

"Thanks," the girl breathed heavily once we were inside.

"You're welcome."

"What was that?" She asked looking over at me.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm not sure. I'm Renesmee by the way."

I held out my hand the girl took my hand to shake. "Nix."

Nix was beautiful. Her black hair shined bright in the lights and fell over her shoulders softly. Her eyes were a deep green and set in an almond shape. I could tell why the vampire would be interested to her. From what my parents have mentioned to me, the hunt is about a sexual experience.

"Well, I think I'm going to go ahead and go to my room," Nix went to turn and walk toward the stairs. "Thanks again. I hope to see you around."

I nodded my head. "You too, and be careful."

Nix smiled and opened the door to the stairwell.

I took my time walking up to my room. My heart was pounding and I felt cold. Not sure if it was from the small amount of liquor or the fact that I just helped stop a vampire attack right behind my dorm. Then there was that giant animal. He looked like a dog, but it was strange he didn't seem to be afraid that the vampire could tear him apart. Just the opposite, the vampire looked like he was staring death in the eye.

I changed into my pajamas and walked over to the window. Since being here I have been drawn to this window. I searched the night for the animal or the vampire. I opened the window slightly and inhaled. I could smell the faint scent of the vampire, but knew it wasn't there anymore. No smell of blood so I knew the animal wasn't hurt or at least not around here.

I closed the window and the curtain before climbing up into bed. I reached for my phone and fingered in the number of my parents cell phones several times. But instead of hitting send I hit end. I knew I should tell them about the vampire, but I also knew I couldn't. If they knew the truth Dad would send the family down here immediately to search for it or they would pull me out.

I placed my phone down and turned off the lights. I didn't feel threatened. If anything I felt safer. And in that moment I became that animal's biggest fan. He saved us.


	4. Gonna Be a Good Night

Thanks everyone for the reviews. The plot is going to really be picking up soon so hang tight! Please let me know your thoughts, ideas and anything that you will like to see happen. Thanks again to my Beta's! Enjoy!

Chapter 4 Playlist: _I Gotta Felling_ Black Eyed Peas

That Tonight's Gonna Be A Good Night

Jacob's POV

"Yo, Jake, you got JELL-O duty!"

I groaned as I rolled onto my back and looked up to the ceiling. I rubbed my hands across my face to get the sleep out of them. I was in no mood right now to be worrying about JELL-O. The only thing I wanted to worry about was sleep.

The banging on my door continued. "You hear me you need to get to it. The party starts at seven."

I let a low growl start at the back of my throat threatening to come out of my mouth. I swallowed hard before answering. "Yeah, I heard you. Give me a few minutes will you?"

I sat up and looked pulled the blinds back slightly to see what the weather was like. Of course it is always about the same - sunny. But we do get the showers and cloudy overcast days from time to time. It is the cloudy days that I think are the hardest for me. Not only begin to wander to what has been going on at home, it also makes the vampires want to come out and play a little bit more. On the rare cloudy days, my head begins to hurt from concentrating so much on school and allowing my senses to be on high alert.

It has been two weeks since I ran that vampire that attempted to attack those two girls. Well, one really was in the most immediate danger. The other looked like she walked in on the almost kill. I'm glad that she had the common sense to get the girl out of there and not stand around with her mouth open.

So, now not only have I saved the girls, the vampire got away. And I knew without a doubt that he will be back. Except this time, he'll be pissed. I interrupted his dinner and at some point he will make it his mission to come and finish those two off.

I shook my head. For two weeks I have been trying to keep the girls' scents in my head so that I will be able to try and track them around the campus, but I learned quickly that's a waste of time. With all the human scents around this campus, on top of all the fragrances that they cover themselves up with, it has been extremely difficult. Finally, after last night I gave up. I was exhausted. I knew that the vampire will come back. That sickly sweet scent is much easier for me to track than two humans.

That's been two weeks of running myself ragged now it is Labor Day Weekend and with the campus being closed for a few days I was hoping to get in a little extra rest. But nope, wrong again. I had to be put on damn JELL-O duty. Don't get me wrong, I love watching the JELL-O wrestling. I just don't like having to make gallons upon gallons of the stuff to fill up a decent size kiddie pool full of the stuff. And with this being our house's first party of the year, I knew I was going to have to make more than usual.

I let out a heavy breath as I saw the sun begin to rise higher in the sky. Thank god it's sunny. I won't have to try and stretch myself into being at multiple places at once. I have to admit it is days like this that I truly missed my pack. I would have been able to set up a patrol schedule and not have had to lose so much sleep.

I reached over and pulled on my sweats and walked out the door. No sense in wearing a shirt around this place. Most of the guys have no modesty to begin with. The only time that we were required to walk around fully clothed is when there are girls in the house. However, since we have not had a party yet to really parade ourselves around, no girls have really set foot into the house yet. That will definitely change after tonight though.

"House meeting!"

_Can today get any worse?_

I closed my door and began to walk down to the basement. The room was already packed which seemed surprising to me since it was a Saturday then again it was our first party. I already knew what the meeting was going to be about and would have preferred to be back in bed asleep or getting the JELL-O going instead of sitting amongst my twenty frat brothers. Most of which reeked of beer from their late nights partying at some of the other campus party houses.

I sat on the beanbag chair as I tried to get myself comfortable while Henry took his place in the big chair close to the fireplace.

"Well its Labor Day weekend guys and that means we get the privilege of getting a little rowdy with the administration gone."

The brothers let out cries of joy and clapped their hands. Henry held up his hand to get us back into attention. "But that does not mean we go crazy! Keep to the rules.

"This first party also allows some of the girls to get to know all of you. As you know it has been House tradition to support a major charity every year. And one of our ways to help raise money is the Date a-BETA auction."

I rolled my eyes. The auction last year, my first, was nothing more than a meat feast. For the girl. The guys enjoyed it when the bidding started and the big heads that they already had somehow got bigger with each increase. My date last year was a living hell. She was a cheerleader and any other time I would have been all over that, but she was fake. And when I mean fake I do not mean just a fake smile. I mean plastic boobs, Botox lips, hair extensions, fake blond hair. I do not think there was anything on her that was appealing and I thanked the Gods that night that she was not my imprint. Sure I would have succumbed to the imprint, but I could not see myself living the rest of my life with such an "OMG" personality. Dumb blond wasn't even a match for her.

"So the auction this year is going to be held next Monday, September 10. Please remember to dress appropriately," Henry said eyeing Don Reynolds who came out wearing nothing but a G-string and a bow tie. "Don, make sure you cover all of yourself up and not just some select parts."

Don plastered a huge mischievous smile on his face while he ran his hands through his sun bleached blond hair. I could already tell that he had a plan brewing in his head and chances are he would try to find others to help him out.

"Okay, Rush week begins on Tuesday. Has anyone seen any boys that would make great additions to our House?" Henry continued on as he watched most of our face. "Guys keep your eyes open and take it seriously. Maybe after tonight you will see some that would stand out. Any questions?"

"What's the charity?" Someone in the back called out.

Henry looked down at the floor. "Make-A-Wish Foundation. I just found out yesterday that my niece is not doing well. The doctors have given her, maybe, six weeks left to live. And when she told me the one thing that she wished she could do before she leaves I figured I had to find a way to help, if not her others."

All of us in the basement feel quiet. We all knew how hard the last year has been for Henry when he found out his only niece was dying from cancer. None of us really knew the details and it was sort of an unspoken rule to not say anything.

"What did she wish for?" Don asked quietly, which was way out of character for her.

Henry looked up and smiled. "She is huge fan of** Underwold** and all of that bogus fantasy stuff."

"Cool she wants to meet Kate Beckinsale," Don smirked with everyone else letting out low chuckles.

"I wish it would have been that easy," Henry smiled and then clapped her hands. "Anyways, I think we have a lot to do before the party which is in about six hours. Get to work guys, I want this place spotless."

I sat there for a moment as I saw scenes from **Underwold **flash through my mind. If it wasn't to meet the main stars… I shook my head; the girl is crazy if she thinks she ever wants to meet vampires or lycans. I shudder at the thought.

I make my way quickly to the kitchen to get started on the JELL-O, knowing that six hours was not nearly enough time to get the stuff to set. Oh, well, doesn't really matter when gorgeous female bodies are wrestling in the red and green goo.

"T minus fifteen minutes," someone hollered through the house.

I poured the first batch of the goo into the large baby pool as the lights began to dim and the large strobe lights began to flash. The corner closer to the fireplace had the DJ booth set up and music was already blaring from it. I stood up and made my way up the stairs to change. In all honesty it was probably a pointless task since I would be getting slimy from the JELL-O.

A few minutes later while making my way back down stairs I could already tell that the party was already going full swing. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a couple of beers finishing off two before heading to the pool to make the final arrangements for the first wrestle match. There is one good thing to say about running a higher body temperature: can't get drunk. Well, at least I don't think so, usually got bored before I got drunk.

I took a swig of my beer and placed it on the table. I knew the routine well. After an hour of dancing, talking, making sure the house was packed the music will die down and people seem to just gravitate over to the pool.

The parties here at the house also made it more difficult for me to keep my senses aware. I was constantly inhaling deeply for unusual scents or perking my ears up for odd noises.

"I'm gonna have to tap that."

I moved my brows together in confusion as I turned to look over to Jonny Simmons who was a late pledge from last year. "Sorry?"

Jonny just nodded his head to a group of girls that were standing near the kitchen entrance. "The brunette is good looking, but man that red head is hot as well."

Jacob looked at each of them but not really paying much attention. "The only thing you care about is their asses."

Jonny smirked. "What the hell else is there to look at? They can just bend over and man doggy style…mhhmm." Jonny shivered in anticipation.

"Yeah, whatever you say Jonny," I heard the change in the music and knew that it was close to my time to get the girls lined up.

"What's been up with you, Jake?"

I shrugged. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know you've been acting really weird lately. Especially when any of the brothers bring up the topic of girls," I watched as Jonny took a step back and put his hands in the air. "Oh, man, please say you are not switching sides."

I let out a laugh that sounded more like a bark. "No fear, I am far from switching sides. Part of me is just tired of screwing around. Ready to find the one, I guess."

The look on Jonny's face was priceless, pure un-adulterated shock. "Dude, we're in college, we're supposed to be screwing around."

"Ladies and gentlemen it is time to move our attention to the main event…." The music changed and the crowd made their way over to the pool. Already girls were beginning to pull their shirts over their heads. The men in the room letting out whistles and howls. Of course my eyes followed the beautiful women with their perky breast and taught nipples, but in the back my head it felt like I was cheating. Cheating on what or whom, I had no idea.

The first ten rounds were fun to watch, but now I just sat there making sure no one got hurt. I inhaled deeply when it hit me. The scent of a leech. My eyes began to scan the room looking for anyone that isn't supposed to be here or standing out with its pale skin. My body began to move involuntarily on its own.

"Hey Jake, where you going?" one of my brothers said behind me, but I tuned him out.

Never has a bloodsucker been this close to so many humans let alone in my house. I followed the trail around the whole bottom level and when I came to the stairs I stopped. Tilting my head I focused on the sounds that were coming from the upper levels. I took the stairs two at a time and halted at the top. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. The thing was so close it almost made my stomach churn.

I needed to figure out a way to get it out of here. There was no way I could go up against a vampire in my human form nor could I risk shifting in the house. Too many people.

"Holy shit!"

My head snapped back down the stairs. The sound of a male's voice coming from outside, screaming. I inhale again deeply and realize that the leech isn't in the house.

"Fuck," I turn and go back down stairs and outside which was covered up from the party goers' voices going a mile a minute.

"Did you see that guy jump from that window?"

"Must have been at least twenty feet up."

"He was cute, need to find out who it was."

"Bet he's a great fuck."

Voices were everywhere as I quickly made a run around the outside of the house, trying to get a hint of the scent to know which way the vamp went. But nothing. It's like it just disappeared. My eyes continue to dart around the front yard as the wind blows and another scent comes across my sensitive nose. Vanilla, floral, strawberries, with a hint of cinnamon. It was a scent that's bombarded my mind for the last two weeks, but I haven't been able to place around campus. I turn my head to follow the scent and groan to myself at the direction the scent went.

First she walks into the middle of a vampire hunting and now I'm following her while she is following a leech. What the hell has this world come to? These humans obviously can't see danger when it slaps them in the damn face. I take off in a light jog as the scent carries me to the small section of covered trees. Thankfully it was clouded over and the wooded area was extremely dark. Oddly, it was darker than normal, even with storms moving in.

I quickly pull my shirt over my head and kick off my shoes. I took them neatly together next to a tree along with my jeans. With one last look around I pull my boxers down and tie them to my left ankle. The heat of tremors flood through my body. My limbs expand and fur springs forth as I fall down onto all fours. After ten years of phasing I still have not gotten used to the feeling of my body expanding and my bones shifting to accommodate my wolf. I tilt my head to the side listening and no that danger is nearby. The silence of the woods is deafening. I inhale deeply before taking off to the west of me following the scent that has enticed me.

I continue to run the small area just until dawn begins to break. The scents of the leech and the human was always around, but I was never able to find them. Finally I drop down onto my hunches and let out a small howl of frustration. The clouds begin to open and the rain starts to hit into my fur. I stand up and shake out my wet coat as I make my way back to my clothes. Any scent there was will be washed out in a matter of minutes anyways.

I slowly get dressed and walk back to the house. The place was still alive and buzzing with activity which was out of the norm for this time of day after a party. Usually people are crashed throughout the entire house asleep. But in this early hour people were still buzzing around and talking about the mystery man that managed to jump from the third story window and land perfectly on his feet without so much as an grimace.

"Jake, where did you run off to?"Henry came over and put his arm around my shoulder. "Did you see the action from last night?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it was odd."

Henry nodded his head. "Tell me about it and the thing was the girl that jumped out the window beforehand disappeared just as quickly. It was like the guy was chasing her or something."

I froze mid step. "Girl?" I thought back to the last six hours and didn't remember seeing a girl.

"Yep, she jumped out of your window and started to run to the dorms. And then the man followed after," Henry began to shake his head. "I hope nothing was going on the dean isn't going to let anything slip by this year."

I looked up to the third story where my window was in fact open. "I never had anyone in my room, or at least I never told anyone they can use my room. Excuse me."

I kept my jog to a human pace as I made my way into the house and then took the stairs two at a time as I made my way up to my room. I opened the door slowly and the scent of the leech and the sweet smell of cinnamon hit my nostrils. Why the hell would a vampire be in my room, let alone a human? And not just any human, the same human that walked into the attack.

Something seemed off. At the same time something was telling me that I needed to figure out who this human girl was and protect her. I walked over to the open window and looked down. There is no way in hell a girl could have made it to the ground safely. My eyes cast over to the window across the yard. The current was being pulled apart slightly as the silhouette of girl looked back towards me. I reached up and pulled the window down making sure it was locked before drawing the curtains. Sleep is what I needed as I shook my head and plopped down onto the night.

Yep, tonight was gonna be a good night….NOT!


	5. Lots of Money

**Thank you all for the reviews, story alerts, favorites and such. I want to thank my Beta's MyLionMyLamb and Kimmie39. There is also a link to Nessie's car in my profile so be sure to check it out! My next update will more than likely be around next Monday but it will be worth the wait I promise! Again thank you and remember to let me know your thoughts!**

Chapter 5 Playlist: _I've Got Money_ by James Brown

Lots of Money

Renesmee's POV

"Really, Dad, a Maserati?" I huffed as I walked around the cherry red car that sat under my dorm window. "What happened to me trying to fit in?"

"It's LA, honey believe me you'll fit in just fine."

I let out a heavy sigh. "Dad, I'm a freshman in college. How many college students do you know who can afford a car like this?"

I had to admit it the baby blue convertible was a beautiful car, but it was something that I did not need. Nor did I really feel like having to worry about it. The fact it was here when I woke up without a finger print on it was odd. I shook my head trying to clear it. Now not only was I focused on a vampire that has seemed to make it a game to harass me and Nix since that night I interrupted his dinner I had to worry about a car not getting stolen.

It has been coming on close to three weeks since that night I stumbled upon the blond vampire who was close to sucking my now best friend dry. I shiver involuntarily at the thought.

I thought it left since I have not smelled him again that is until a week ago when I went to the frat party at the BETA house. Nix, Bee, and I were standing around just talking when the air kicked on and the sweet scent rafted its way through my nose. I followed it up the stairs to the third level when another scent caught my attention. A musk that was woodsy and comforting. I stood at the door for a moment where the smell was coming from and hesitated before opening in. I knew it was empty and wasn't sure what I was planning on finding there. But when I opened the vampire that was standing in the middle of the room was the last thing I expected.

I was frozen in my spot for a second before I tried to move quickly back out of the hall. Of course he was faster than my half vampire self. He pushed me quickly toward the back wall. His body pressed up tight and his nose moving to the pulse point of my neck. I closed my eyes and tried to not squirm as he inhaled deeply his crimson eyes bright with excitement.

As quick as it happened it was over and I watched as he threw himself out the window. I knew that something must have spooked him or something was coming that he wasn't expecting. So I panicked as well and jumped out of the third story window and followed the scent briefly before rounding back to my room. I wasn't sure what he was looking for or who he was.

"So, everyone wants to say happy birthday," Dad continued to speak.

So, now here I stand circling my birthday gift trying to keep my mind on the conversation and not my near vampire attack. "Sure."

"Renesmee," Alice squealed. "It has not been the same at all this last month. When are you coming home?"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't know Alice shouldn't you already be able to tell?"

I could tell that she was having a vision as she became extremely quiet and then let out a heavy unnecessary breathe of air. "No but you will be getting my other present from me in nine minutes. I saw that you were going to a masquerade tonight."

I smiled thankful that she was at least able to know that I would be going. She may not be able to see me, but she has been able to focus on Bee more and know from what Bee decides and sees a blind spot in Bee's decisions that chances are I would be there. "Yes, it is a benefit for the Make-A-Wish foundation. I'm really excited about it."

Granted the idea of guys parading around and women betting on dates was not for me the charity was something I wanted to support. Every since my first hospital visit to the Children's Ward I felt like I needed to do something to help all those kids.

"Hey, Alice, can you put Grandpa on?" I asked cutting her off midsentence.

I could hear her huffing as she passed the phone. "What is it sweetheart?"

I looked around as more of the campus began to wake up and people began to make their way to class. I tried to keep my head down so the other students could try not to see that I was the owner of this fine piece of machinery. I took in a deep breath.

"I was wondering if you were able to get any information on Bailey?" I asked.

Bailey and I have become fairly close in the last couple of weeks. When I went to visit her a few days ago I could tell that something was wrong by the change in her scent. Her eyes were darker and sunk farther into her head. I remembered reaching out to her bald head and rubbing down a few of the downy pieces of hair, her skin was cold to my touch.

"Renesmee, your friend is not doing well," Grandpa started slowly. "I am thinking that she only has a few weeks left."

I reached up and brushed a tear from my eye. I knew it was coming, but deep down I was hoping for a miracle. It was my last visit while I was laying in her bed with her curled into my side that I finally decided what I wanted to do. I wanted to be like Grandpa and try to help others. I didn't want to see these kids suffer. I came back to my dorm that night excited about my college path and realized I would never have come to the decision of going into the medical field without being here and branching out on my own. The phone call was hard though. My family had mixed reactions of me wanting to be a child oncologist.

At first many thought I was letting my human half get too attached to Bailey and that I wanted to find a way to change her, but that was far from the truth. I would never condemn anyone to this life. I mean I look at my family and see how happy they are and how they get to live eternity with each other.

However, my human side has been having a hard time with the fact that I have eternity with them. Except my eternity is to be alone. It is hard to get attachment here. As much as I have been having fun going to parties with Bee and Nix and talking to guys, I knew that deep down nothing would ever be more than that of friends, so what was the point in allowing it to go farther.

"Grandpa," I started. "Bailey mentioned something to me the other day, a wish actually, something she wants before…" My voice trailed off as a sob managed to get stuck in my throat. I knew that I was going to have a hard time when it was time for me to say bye.

"Yes?"

"She told me she has always wanted to meet one of _our_ kind," I hesitated as I tried to find the right word while the human milled around. "I was thinking of using my gift. I would use it as a last resort when I know that she more than likely won't be…"

I could tell that he was mulling it over and chances were he was talking privately with Edward and checking with Alice as far as what the outcome could be. "I think that should be okay."

I smiled. "Thank you. Look I need to get to class."

"Happy Birthday!" A chorus of perfect voices sounded through my ear piece of my phone.

"Thank you, I will talk to all of you tomorrow."

I sighed as I closed my phone and slipped it into my pocket. I pulled my back pack higher up my shoulder and made my way to my first class on this bright and sunny Monday morning. Just as I was about to open the door to the Science building I felt a pair of arms grab me from the waist.

"Happy birthday," Nix said and I could tell that she was smiling. "And can I just say I want to join your family if I get a car like that for my birthday."

I shook my head. "Believe me, no you don't. And besides I am going to try and find away to get rid of the car."

Nix's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Are you fucking kidding me? That car is the bomb. Come on we are so heading down to Tijuana this weekend and your driving."

I thought about it for a second before a smile spread across my face. "Road trip."

Nix nodded and her smile grew as she saw Bee walk over to us. "Hey Bee, pack your bags, we are going to take Renesmee's car on a little road trip. Leaving Friday after our last class."

Bee smiled. "Cool, but what about the auction tonight? If we are one of the lucky few that actually bids high enough on a date we are to fulfill our end by this weekend?"

Nix's smile spread even farther across her face her eyebrows moving higher up on her forehead. "We just make this a weekend getaway date."

I groaned inwardly. "I wasn't planning on betting on anyone."

Bee and Nix both crossed their arms over their chest and looked at me like I grown a second hear. "What?"

Nix put her arm around my shoulder. "Renesmee, you have to bet, it's part of the fun, besides its for a good cause."

"Besides, you cannot tell me that none of those guys catch your fancy?" Bee asked.

I shook my head. "Nope, not interested."

Shock was the primary expression their face. I rolled my eyes in defeat. "Fine, if by chance we all and I mean all three of us, get dates then we will bring them with us."

Bee looked down to her watch. "Shit, I'm late for psych. I'll see you all this afternoon."

Bee began to make her way across campus while I turned to walk into biology and Nix headed toward the Arts building. I closed my eyes and took one last breath of fresh air before walking into the room. It was lab and all the smells actually made my stomach twist. I reached up and pulled my sunglasses off. As much as I loved the science, especially now since I have made a decision as to what I wanted to do with my life, or at least for the next few years, today though, my mind kept thinking about the weekend.

It will be the first time since my trip to Home Depot and Bed, Bath and Beyond I have been off campus. As much as I love the idea of taking my new car and letting go full speed south of the border I was sort of fearful of the idea. It was hard enough to remember to be human around my best friends and the campus. What about complete strangers if we end up winning dates tonight?

I shivered at the idea of possibly taking a guy along on our trip. I have not had much experience with the male population; one, because of my uncles and father, two, just no interest. The only person that was allowed within a couple of feet of me was that of my own kind. But he freaked me out. He was coming close to forcing himself on me. More than likely would have if Edward ever went farther than "hearing" range. After that, I closed myself up not wanting anything to do with them.

As much as I was ready to find someone it truly is a waste of time for me. Every relationship only has the option of lasting only a couple of years. The odds of finding a mortal to share my everlasting life with are slim to none. Vampires are out because of the venom. Grandpa has no clue as to what it will do to me and no one wanted to test his theories. So that left me with no one.

I shook my head when I realized that the room was quickly emptying. I gathered up my bag and went to move my glasses back down to my nose. I stopped suddenly when I hit the wall and felt a warm hand on my arm to help steady myself.

"Sorry I wasn't paying attention," I mumbled and adjusted my bag while keeping my head down.

"No, my fault," a deep voice that sounded like molten chocolate said.

Keeping my head down and inhaling a heavy sigh the scent of him went through my mouth and nose. I stood there a second as the scent of woods, musk, and fallen leaves filled me completely. The scent that I had me moving through the party to find.

I swallowed hard and I felt like I was spinning. "Excuse me," I maneuvered my way around him and tried to walk quickly out of the building.

Air, I needed air.

I could feel his eyes following until the door closed behind me.

Two classes later I was back in my room. I truly had no clue how I got there nor did I remember even going to class. I dropped my stuff onto my deck and climbed up onto my bed.

I inhaled again thankful that the scent was not in the room, but at the same time my body seemed to craved it. As I pulled the scent from my memory I thought about it much to my dismay.

The touch of his hand on my arm was warm which was odd. My temperature runs so high that everyone's touch is colder to me. His heart was racing, but I wasn't sure if it was normal or if it was adrenaline. Then there was his scent. It was human, but it had something else mixed with it. Now, laying here in bed the scent alone brought on goose bumps.

"Hey, Renesmee," I opened my eyes and looked down to see Bee and Nix staring up at me.

"Yeah?" I questioned. All of a sudden I felt exhausted from all the thinking.

"You've been asleep for the last two hours," Bee said as she grabbed a bag from the closet. "I hope you don't mind, but I signed for your package and I have to say its gorgeous."

_Two hours?_ I just came back from class a few minutes ago. I jumped from the bunk and looked over at the alarm clock and sure enough it was getting close to five.

"Why didn't you all wake me? The auction starts in an hour."

Nix took the bag out of Bee's hands. "Sorry, we didn't want to wake you. You looked like you were having a really good dream. I never saw you smile like that before."

I knew that confusion was written all of my face. I don't remember even falling asleep let alone dreaming about anything. The only thing I was focusing on was that scent. A scent that if I confessed to myself I have been following around campus subconsciously since the vampire attack a few weeks ago, but never could truly find who it belonged to. Now I did. I had full exposure to it. And now I couldn't get the scent out of my head. The sad thing is I knew nothing about him not even what he looks like.

"So what were you dreaming about?" Bee asked handing me the bag.

I shrugged my shoulders. "No idea."

The next hour Bee, Nix and I quickly dressed. It felt wrong and weird to be going to one of the only formal events in my life and not have my Aunt Alice helping me prepare. Hair and makeup were done and I went to unzip the bag to take my dress out and gasped my hands going to my mouth.

"Wow, Renesmee," Bee said while Nix ran her fingers over the silk. It's gorgeous."

The dress was lavender and extremely short. The mask hanging on the hanger matched perfectly. Pair of black stilettos were tucked inside the bag. I picked up the note that was tapped on the deep v-neck line.

_You know I can't see you, but I do know you. Love the dress on you already. Be careful tonight and have fun. I can't help but think something wonderful and scary will happen tonight. Keep your eyes open._

_Love,_

_Your Favorite Aunt_

I smile at the note and crumble it up before tossing it into the garbage. A few minutes later all three of us walk out of the dorm room and head over to the gym where the Beta House Masquerade was going to take place.

I pull my mask down to cover my face, my eyes barely able to see through the small holes just as we open the doors. How am I to keep my eyes open when they seem to be closed?

I followed the girls up toward the front row of seats. The place was packed with girls. From my understanding the House has about twenty guys. I counted quickly and realized there will be a lot of unhappy girls leaving tonight.

"So do any of you know any these guys?" I asked looking up the handmade stage that had velvet curtains blocking the activity from behind.

Nix smiled. "I met a couple of them last week at the party. There are some hotties!"

Bee nodded her head in agreement. "I think we need to figure out what the plan is for this weekend. If all of us manage to get a date then we all go, but what if one of us doesn't?"

I chewed on the bottom of my lip as I thought about the dilemma I for one did not want to be an odd wheel and I am sure neither did Nix and Bee. "This is all for charity, right?"

Both of them nodded their heads.

"Yeah," Bess said. "I think half of the proceeds go to the Make A Wish Foundation."

"Do we want guys to go with us this weekend or do we want girl time?"

Nix and Bee looked at one another appearing to be communicating silently and then a smile spread across her face. "Boys!"

I let out a deep breath. Personally I was hoping they would choose girl time. I wasn't sure what good will come out of a weekend with a group of boys that I did not even know. It's not like it would go anywhere anyways.

Nix put her arm around me. "Come on, Renesmee, live a little. I have not seen you even look at a guy. You're starting to scare me a little."

"Fine, the boys will come and I will promise you that each of you will have one."

They both looked at me with wide eyes. I could already see their questions.

"You just bid on the one you want. I'll take care of the money."

"Well, do we have a limit?" Nix asked.

I shook my head.

"How can you?"

I smile began to creep its way up on the corners of my mouth. "Did you not see my car that my daddy dearest just bought me for my birthday? Don't worry. This weekend will be on me and that includes your boys."

The lights began to dim and the crowd of girls began to squeal as the ones that were still standing scrambled for a seat. Spotlights moved in sync to the music finally landing on the center of the stage.

"Ladies, welcome to the third annual Beta House Auction," a gentleman who was dressed in a black on black suit said into a microphone. "The rules. You may only win one date. Bidding will start at twenty five dollars. The date has to happen sometime during this upcoming weekend. And half the proceeds will go to the Make A Wish Foundation. So without farther ado. The Beta House!"

The crowd stood up and began to cheer loudly as all twenty or so of the guys walked quickly in a line across the stage. Then like a slap in the face the scent filled my nose. My eyes darted down the line to see who it was coming from. I felt like my eyes were pulling me toward one of them, but couldn't figure out which one. The scents of the other humans were mixing together.

But I do know one thing. Thank god I've got money, lots and lots of money!


	6. I'm Too Sexy

Chapter 6 Play List: _I'm Too Sexy _by Right Said Fred

**I'm Too Sexy**

**Jacob's POV**

I rolled my shoulders and neck to try and shake the nerves that were building inside of me. I pulled on the shirt collar because it was too tight. I was afraid to wipe my hand across my forehead knowing that it will be dripping with sweat. Last year's auction was a joke, if you asked me. And chances were this one was going to be the same.

I inhaled deeply as I placed my foot on the steps to follow my brothers across the stage. A meat parade is what this was. I swallowed hard and kept my eyes focused on Brian's head. My eye lids fluttered and I almost felt like I was going to pass out when the sweetest smelling scent hit me hard. I inhaled again and that was when I recognized it as the scent I have been trying to find.

Well, I did find it earlier this afternoon when I ran smack dab into the scent, but before I even had time to register it was her, let alone think of something intelligent to say, she left. I didn't even get to really look at her, but her scent was something I had imbedded into memory now. I felt like a douche bag as I shook my head and followed her with my eyes before heading into the bio lab. This afternoon was the first time I actually enjoyed being in class, but the thing I couldn't figure out was why after three weeks of going to class this was the first time that I smelt her before. That lack of information made its presence known when I realized that this was our first bio lab for the year.

And now here I was standing on the stage listening to God awful music that belonged in strip clubs knowing that she was one of the hundred girl's faces that looked back at me. I squinted into the bright lights trying to focus on the smell and where it was coming from. Thinking that if I can at least zero in on a location I might be able to figure out who she is.

"Sold for ninety dollars!" The auctioneer said loudly into the microphone as Brian smiled. "Now ladies, up next is Sophomore, Jacob Black!"

I put my game face on as I walked toward the middle of the stage. The lights beaming brightly into my eyes which I rolled as I heard **I'm Too Sexy** begin to play. Why the hell did they choose this song? Actually who the hell chose this song?

"Okay ladies the bidding will start at twenty five dollars!"

"Twenty-five!"

"Do I hear thirty?"

"I've got thirty!"

"Seventy-five, bitch, Jacob's mine!" A voice said loudly from somewhere in the back. "Now take off the shirt!"

"Ladies' this isn't a strip club" the announcer said, but I went ahead and obliged the lady. I already knew that this would be the most action that she would see from me.

"The bid is up to seventy-five! Do I hear eighty?"

"Eighty!"

"Ninety-five!"

"A hundred!"

I moved silently along the stage as the two same girls bickered back and forth with each other.

"Oh come on ladies you can do better than that! Do I hear one twenty-five?"

"One twenty-five!"

"Oh, bitch!" The same voice from a few minutes earlier said. "One eighty!"

The music switched to a new song. "One eighty, going once, going twice…"

"One thousand dollars!"

My eyes blinked rapidly and I came to a complete stand still at the sound of a voice that was crystal clear and sang loudly at me. I turned slowly toward the sound and tried to focus on the crowd. To see the face, the voice. A voice that was music to my ears.

"Turn the music off!" The announcer said loudly.

The music died down and the crowd was completely silent. I began to walk slowly toward where I thought the voice came from. But the odd thing was it felt like the voice was calling me or pulling me toward her.

"One thousand dollars?" The announcer asked hesitantly.

"Yes, one thousand dollars cash." The girl stood up and turned around on her heel her hair moving rapidly stirring up her scent as the smell insulted my nose and body. I tenses as inhaled deeply recognizing the scent of cinnamon and flowers from earlier in the day and in my room from the weekend.

"Sold! For one thousand dollars!"

I watched as I saw her walk away and going toward the front door with two other girls following her. I jumped down from the stage and began to run after her. Just as she reached the doors I grabbed hold of her bare wrist and an electric current seemed to flow from her through me. I dropped her wrist quickly out of shock.

"Wait," I said when she halted. "Who are you?"

She had on a purple and green mask with a lot of feathers on it. Very small slits for her eyes. It was a wonder she was able to see at all. She kept the mask in place as she took in a deep breath. I could see her brow bunch together like she was trying to think, concentrate on something.

"You don't need to know my name. All you need to know is that we now have a date," her voice sounded like a thousand angels signing. "Meet me at three o'clock on Friday. Bring a change of clothes and your passport."

The girls that were standing next to her giggled like it was an inside joke. But this just made me even more confused.

"Where are we going?"

The girl shrugged. "That's for me to know and for you to find out."

Okay, so she's going to play hard to get. I can play that as well, but I wasn't sure I wanted to play. I just wanted to know who she was. "Fine, can you at least tell me where to meet you?"

She stood up on her toes and leaned in close to my ear her breath was just as sweet smelling as the rest of her. "You can find me by my scent. Just like I can find you."

She pulled back as chills ran down my spine. She touched my nose. "Follow your nose." She winked and it was the sexiest thing I have ever seen.

The mystery girl who I have been trying to find turned on her heel and pushed through the door and into the hot LA night air as the girls with her laughed quietly.

"Thanks for a great night and getting us all dates for the weekend."

"You're welcome," my girl said.

_Wait a minute! My girl? Where the hell did that come from? I didn't even know who the hell she was and now I was claiming her as mine!_

"I think we are in for a hell of a weekend girls."

I stood there with my mouth opening watching the three of them walk into the darkness. The urge to follow was strong, but the urge to make sure they got home safely was stronger. I stared in a dumb silence and didn't even react when I felt a hand on my bare shoulder.

"Wow, a thousand bucks," John said from behind me. "And to think her friend Nix bid two hundred on me."

I turned slowly and looked at him. "Nix? Which one was she?"

"The brunette," he said nodding his head in the direction they all left. "It was odd she said bring a passport and clothes. Man I hope they don't plan on killing us and doing a body drop in Mexico or something."

"Hey Jake," Blake Henderson came to stand on my other side. "Rumor has it that the three of us are going on a weekend date with some very hot chicks."

I nodded. "Don't you guys find it odd though?"

My two brothers looked over at me and I could tell by the impressions that they did not feel the same as me. "I mean all three of them bid pretty high on us. Do you think they are singling us out for something?"

John chuckled. "Jake you need to stop watching all of that horror shit. They are taking us out on a date. So what it's to Mexico. It's not the first time that we've been there, besides it's not like they asked us to marry them. Just sit back and enjoy getting some ass this weekend."

"Yeah, Jake how many times has a girl paid for you? Let alone pay for an entire weekend getaway? Stop being paranoid," Blake said. "Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I can't wait until Friday."

"Did any of them tell you where we are to meet?" I asked still trying to figure out why she would tell me to use my nose. That statement alone made me paranoid. What did she know? Did she know that I was the giant _dog_ that saved them from the vampire attack?

"Yeah," Blake said putting his hands in his pocket. "Bee said to meet her at her friends Maserati."

My eyes felt like they were going fall right out of their sockets from being open so wide. "The what?"

"You know the car?"

"Yeah I know the car, whose is it?"

Blake shrugged his shoulders. "If I had to guess I think it's your chicks."

"Dude, I think you hit the jack pot with this one!" John nodded his head. "Man, can it be Friday already?"

"I'm going to go back to my room," I said quietly ready to get out of here. Ready to think. I had to think. Even though thinking in the past usually got me into trouble.

I walked slowly trying to pick up her scent to see if I could find her. Figure out where she lives, what she drives, pick up on conversations of her friends. I needed something, anything to figure out more about her. But I realized quickly that with the picking up of the wind and the low moving clouds that were making their way across the sky that it will be useless. With the first spits of rain her scent was going to be flushed out rather quickly.

With a heavy breath I turned and went the opposite direction toward my room. Sleep that's what I needed. Granted it wasn't even midnight, but going to bed early would be good for me. If the guy's were right about anything this weekend it will be for me to be well rested.

But did I want to sleep with her? Hell yeah, but for some reason it seemed wrong. Like this was not to be a one night stand. Something in me was telling me that I was to protect her, keep her safe. And whatever I do I was not to hurt her. At the same time though I could not help but think that she was a tough girl and able to take care of things on her own, but I wanted to be the one to take care of her.

I shook my head as I pulled my pants off and slid under the covers. "Jake, it's a girl, get over it."

_The trees rushed by as I ran fast. The sickening scent of bleach, the leech I have been trying to snag for a while has been marking his territory all through the wooded areas around UCLA._

"_Help!" A voice of a girl, but not any girl the angel that I met._

_I halted and sat on my hunches inhaling and tilting my ears back to listen._

"_Please, don't," she whimpered. _

_I turned toward the right and moved as fast as my legs would move me. I think it was the fastest I have ever pushed myself. I broke through the trees and walked in slowly as I took in my surroundings. At the far end of the field was the girl with a man standing in front of her. Her eyes were large and glassed over in fear as the leech bent his head down toward her neck inhaling her scent. His mouth opened a little more as his teeth began to graze the jugular._

_I let out a low growl and walked slowly behind the bloodsucker. The girl looked over the shoulder of the man and she locked her eyes with me. I paused slightly as I got lost in her chocolate wide eyes. _

"_Help," she whispered, but I didn't see her mouth move. _

_I shook my head in confusion. Her voice was so close it was like she was in my head._

"_I am in your head, help me please hurry!"_

_I growled louder and the leech turned quickly dropping the girl from his grasp. His ruby red eyes bulging as he took in me in. My lips curled over my lip as I began to stalk my own prey. The leech made a move to the left and I matched him step for step. After a few minutes of dancing in a tight circle keeping him in my sight and the girl within my peripheral vision he looked one last time at the girl and smiled._

"_Until we meet again," and then he was gone._

_Everything in my being told me to follow him, but something else was pulling me. I looked over my shoulder and saw the girl standing rigid against the tree. I walked slowly toward her. I wanted to change into my human form, but I knew that would have freaked her out even more._

"_I knew that you would be able to follow your nose," she whispered. "I knew that you would come for me."_

_I sat down and looked at her with my head tilted to the side. I couldn't put my finger or paw on it, but she seemed familiar. Like I have known her my whole life. Or maybe it was I have been waiting for her my whole life. Looking at her it felt like the planets shifted and she was the center of the universe now._

"Holy shit!" I sat up straight in my bed and rubbed my eyes. "I imprinted?"

I shook my head and looked outside at the full moon that was beginning to lower and the sun making its way across the horizon. Imprint? Something I have been hoping for for the last eight years and now it seems like it was just within my grasp. But how could I have imprinted on the girl in my dreams who happened to be the same girl from the auction. I never even saw the girl's eyes tonight. Yet in my dream it was so real.

If it was real then what was she doing with the vamp and why could I hear her in my head?

_Well, the vamp was trying to kill her you idiot!_

The mind thing was kind of freaky though. It was weird hearing someone else in my head after years of solitude. I guess I am always falling for the weird ones. First Bella and now this chick.

I knew that sleep wasn't going to be on my to-do list for the time being so I grabbed my towel to take a shower to begin my day.

"So, you couldn't sleep either?" John asked when I walked into the showers.

I reached over and turned the handle all the way toward scorching hot and nodded my head. "Had a bad dream."

John smirked. "Man, I didn't even want to get out of my dream. It was the best damn wet dream I have had in years. How can you have had a nightmare knowing that in four days we are headed somewhere with three hot chicks?"

I shrugged as I pulled my boxers off and hopped in. "Not a nightmare just…You know, forget it."

"Whatever you say."

The next four days went by with no signs of any leeches and it made me feel good to know that I will be leaving without having to worry about any attacks or at least I hoped not. I pulled my duffel bag out and threw in my swimming trunks, a few shirts and nice shorts along with a pair of jeans. Reached under my bed for the small safety deposit box to grab my passport, wallet and few hundred dollars of cash.

"Come in!" I yelled when I heard a knock on the door.

The door opened with Brian and john holding their own duffle bags over their shoulders. They looked like they were ready for the beach in bright colored shirts and khaki shorts.

"You ready for the time of your life Jake?" Brian asked with a grin.

I zipped up my bag and slung it over my shoulder. "Ready as I'll ever be."

I followed my two brothers out of the room and down the stairs. Once I was outside I inhaled deeply to try and track a scent that I have not been able to find at all during the past few days. It was almost like she did not even exist.

"So where are we to meet them?" John asked as we started to walk onto the fresh cut grass.

"They said at the Maserati," Brian said. "But where would that be? The campus is huge."

I closed my eyes to focus trying to make all the other human scents disappear. The wind changed directions and then I smelt it, cinnamon, floral, baked apple pie and cotton candy. The best scent under the sun.

"This way," I nodded my head and moved toward the direction of the dorms that were across from the Beta House.

The boys followed my lead and a few minutes later there was the blue convertible Maserati. Two girls sitting on the on the folded down top and the red head, _my girl_ was in the driver's seat.

"Oh, good you guys made it," the brunette said climbing off of the car. "My name is Nix and this is Bee and Renesmee."

I looked over to Renesmee who smiled slightly, her sunglasses reflecting my face right back at me.

"Put your stuff in the trunk and then we can go," Renesmee said. "I know the car is going to be a tight squeeze, but I promise it won't take us long to get where we are going."

Nix came up to John and took hold of his hand. "You get to have me in your lap," she purred.

John and Brian threw their bags into the trunk and jumped into the back seat. The girls immediately made themselves comfortable on their laps. I walked behind the car and put my bag in and closed the trunk. I opened the passenger door and slid in next to this beautiful girl. She looked over at me and smiled.

"Be prepared for the ride of your life," and with that she stepped on the gas.


	7. Wind Beneath My WIngs

**A/N: Sorry that it has been a week since my last update. I have been busy at work. I own my own restaurant and we are getting into our busy season plus I am pumped that I will also be going to bartender's school. I start in a week and it will be a gruesome schedule but I welcome it. I am hoping to get a couple of chapters written before then. I am also committing myself to working on my next novel for the month of July. Have been working on the characters for that and the outline, it will be awesome and very emotionally driven! **

**Tissue Alert! For those that have read some of my previous stories know that I have a tendency to make people cry! This is one of those chapters! There are a lot of flashbacks in this chapter. And don't worry we are very close to Jacob and Renesmee actually meeting eye to eye. And for a couple of you that have mentioned in reviews why I call her Renesmee you will learn some of that here. **

**Thanks again to my Beta's and for all of your reviews. They are very much appreciated. Please be sure to check out my profile and go to the community if you are looking for some other great Ness and Jake stories! They are out there! If you have any recommendations please let me now! Now onto chapter 7!**

Chapter 7 Playlist: _Wind Beneath My Wings_ by Bette Midler

One thousand dollars! I bet a thousand dollars on a guy I knew nothing about! The only thing going for him was his scent, the scent that has bugged me to death, if I could have died that is. The big question that floated in my head when I left the gym was why?

"It's for a great cause," Nix said while we walked across the campus toward our dorm rooms.

_Did I actually say that out loud?_ I couldn't argue that point and I guess that can be my excuse when my parents see the withdrawal on the credit card in a couple of days.

"And he's really cute," Bee mentioned from my other side. "Oh and by the way, Renesmee, thank you for backing our two guys as well."

I groaned internally totally forgetting about the near five hundred combined that I spent for Bee and Nix's dates. "You're welcome."

After that initial conversation it was dropped which I was very thankful for. The less that it was thought and discussed the less chances of Aunt Alice "seeing" it or more of where we were going in a few days with complete strangers the better. I didn't need her telling my father.

But after the eventful Monday night auction the week turned south. Tuesday I get my first English test back with a giant red B. I have never been given anything less than an A. I sat in my dorm that night alone with a half gallon of Ben and Jerry's Monkey Bites. Again something I have never done before!

Wednesday was the worst day by far in my existence. For the last month I have made it a point to visit Bailey on Wednesday's. Ever since that first day I got attached. Not really sure as to why though. It has been drilled in my head for as long as I could remember to never get attached to a human. In the end it will only hurt. The second Wednesday is when I made the drastic decision to cut my hair donating it to Locks of Love. I remember going into the beauty salon with Bee and sitting down in the chair.

The beautician pulled a cape around my shoulders and pulled my long reddish brown hair over it. I closed my eyes thinking about the length that has never been cut a day in its life. Long, curly and flowed almost to my waist.

"You have such beautiful hair," the lady with purple hair said while she smacked on her gum. "Just a trim? Take off the dead ends?"

I tried not to laugh at the question. I knew for a fact I didn't have dead ends. "Take it to the shoulders?"

I watched in the mirror as the lady looked at me with wide green eyes. "That's going to be about a foot of hair you are cutting off."

I nodded and reached in my pocket pulling out a large zippy bag. "Cut it off and put it in here. I have plans for it."

I could see her chew on her lip before letting out a heavy sigh. She quickly brushed through the curls and then pulled my hair into a pony tail. I gave her a final nod before she picked up the scissors and cut my hair off with one snip. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply feeling the weight of my hair come off of me. She took my pony tail and laid it in the bag, zipping it up tight. After fifteen minutes or so I was walking out of the beauty shop with Bee, who couldn't keep her eyes off of my new hairdo.

"I…I can't believe you went through with it," Bee mumbled reaching up to run her fingers through my shoulder length hair.

I shrugged my shoulders. "It's hair, it'll grow back. My hair tends to grow fast anyways." _Or at least I hoped so!_

"But why?"

"There's someone that needs it more than I do."

"Hhmm," was all she said while I reached into my pocket to pull out my phone and dialed Aunt Alice.

"Hey, Renesmee," Aunt Alice's voice sang through the phone. I smiled at how much I missed her. It's still hard to believe that they are all the way across the country.

"Alice, I need a favor."

"Okay," she said, but I could hear the hesitance in her voice. "It better not be something I am going to have to hide from your father you know he will eventually hear about it anyways."

I smiled. "No, Alice it's nothing bad. I promise. I need you to tell me where I can go have a wig made."

"A wig?" I could picture Alice standing with her hands on her hips trying to contemplate why I would need a wig made. "Why?"

"It's for a friend," I said which, wasn't a lie; I just couldn't tell her…

"Renesmee, what did you do to your hair! I just had a vision of you with your roommate and she was talking about how she likes you with short hair! Your hair, it's gone!"

"No, Alice, it's not gone, I just got a little cut off. It's something…"

"A little? How much is a little, like a trim?"

I sighed. "More like a foot, but it's for…."

"A foot? Oh, your mom and dad are going to shit a brick if that was even possible. How could you?"

"Alice, can you please tell me where I can take my hair and get a wig made out of it. Someone that you would trust and I can have it back quickly. It's for a friend, Bailey remember the girl that is dying of cancer?"

The line went quiet for a minute. I actually pulled it away from my ear to see if I was still connected.

"I know someone with Locks of Love. Mail me your hair and I will see what I can do."

I smiled and saw a post office on the other side of the street. "It's going in the mail now. I will express it so you will have it tomorrow! Thanks, Alice, you're the best."

Alice laughed. "You're welcome, Renesmee, now let's just hope your hair grows back."

A week later a package showed up at my door and I knew without opening it that it was from Alice. I brought into my room and pulled out the wig. It was odd staring at the piece of hair that was once a part of me. I ran my hands through it and was surprised at how soft it felt. I brought my nose to the wig and inhaled deeply. Even though it didn't have my scent anymore I could still smell a hint of me flowing through it.

"Is that it?" Nix and Bee walked into the room and I looked up at the sound of Nix's voice. "I still can't believe you did that. It's really cool you know, not many people our age would be that selfless."

I shrugged. "Bailey has always complimented me on my hair and I figured if there is nothing else I could give her and if my hair makes her happy, why not?"

I walked over to my closet and pulled out a red gift bag and placed the wig into it. "I am off to go visit her. I'll see you all later!"

As I was walking over to the Children's Hospital I couldn't help but feel like I was on cloud nine. I never did something like this before. Sure, my family has always donated to millions of charities, but that is where it ended. Never has there been a one on one contact before. I ran my fingers through my hair and couldn't help but smile knowing that I was about to put another smile on my friend.

_Friend?_ Wow that was something I never really thought I would have. Sure, I experienced two years of high school with my family, but I always kept to the family never venturing out past the school walls or the house. This….this college experience is something I am glad I decided to do. Learning to live on my own and not having the family smother me. Not having Dad in my head every five seconds or being able to feel my own emotions without Uncle Jasper feeling them himself or him changing them for my supposed benefit. After having the freedom here in California, even with it being only about six weeks, I'm not sure I am going to want to go back to the family.

I chewed on my lip while I took the elevator up to the Oncology department. Could I live like this for the rest of eternity? Sure, but not alone. If I haven't learned anything else from my family, I did learn that the vampire side of me loves deeply. They take their mates for life and will die for one another. I guess when you have forever to live you want someone there to share it with. Was there someone out there for me? I knew that I could never be like Dad falling in love with a human. I'm not sure I could let that person be subjected to a life like this. Forever stuck in a body of a twenty year old while the rest of the world kept growing and moving on.

My family tells me that I'm lucky I have never had to experience death. I rolled my eyes at that. Of course I never experienced someone dying. I never knew anyone that died nor was I allowed to get close enough to someone. I remember about three years ago, my first day of high school. That morning Mom received an email from Grandpa Charlie, Mom's dad, someone I never met but has seen pictures of. He didn't know about me nor did anyone else from my mom's human family. I walked down the hall and heard a sharp intake of breath coming from my parent's room. I walked over and tapped on the door.

"Mama," I asked quietly as I opened the door. "I'm ready for school."

Mom looked up and her eyes were bright. That was the first time I realized that vampires can't cry. They just can't have the tears running down their face like I can. Their eyes only fill with the venom with nowhere to go. Mom reached up and put her face in her hands while her shoulders shook.

I walked over to her and put an arm around her shoulders to give her a hug. "What's wrong?"

She reached her hand up to her eyes wiping away the invisible tears. "I just received an email from my dad. A very good friend of his died a couple of days ago and the funeral is today."

"How did he die?"

I watched as her mouth trembled slightly before finally answering. "Of a broken heart. His son ran away a week or so before you were born. He and I used to be best friends and we had an argument and he left. I never saw or heard from him again."

Now it was my turn to chew on my lip. This was the first time that Mom ever talked about life before I was born. To them one day I wasn't here and the next I was. Sure I know how I came to be and how deadly my birth was on Mom. I can remember everything of my birth and some of the conversations while I was in the womb. I remember hearing another voice a couple of times that I have never been able to place. Or at least he wasn't a part of my family anymore.

"He was the one that had the deep husky voice," I murmured and that is when I first felt a flutter in my heart thinking about that voice.

Mom turned and looked at me in confusion so I continued. "I remember while being in you all the voices I have heard. There was one that I was never able to place after I was born. I'm thinking it was your best friend. Did he visit some while you were pregnant?"

Mom nodded her head slightly. "Yes, two or three times. But he couldn't take it I guess and left."

"Where did he go? Why didn't someone go find him? Or go find him now? He needs to at least know that his father has died."

Mom reached out and ran her fingers through her hair. "Sweetie, it's not that easy. People have been looking for him, but after a few years they gave up. He's different."

I never received or learned any more information after that. Deep down I knew that the family was hiding things. Keeping secrets.

I jumped slightly when the elevator doors dinged open. I stepped off the opened elevator and walked around the nurses' station. They all looked up and smiled at me. I walked toward room 313 and before I noticed that Bailey had a visitor, but that wasn't the only thing off coming from her room. I could smell death. I knocked hesitantly on the door.

"Come in," a male voice said.

I opened the door and peaked in. "Hi, sorry to interrupt, I just brought Bailey a gift."

The man reached up and wiped his eyes tiredly. "You must be the girl that Bailey can't seem to stop talking about. I'm Henry, Bailey's uncle."

I took out his outstretched hand and shook. "Renesmee and yes, I guess that's me."

"I've seen you around campus, what year are you?"

"Freshman."

"Oh, I'm in my final year of medical school. I am actually on rotation right now, but had to come and see her one last time before I head home."

"How is she doing, really?" I asked him quietly.

Henry looked over to the bed and I followed his gaze. Bailey's appearance changed drastically from last week. Her skin was transparent; she had huge, dark shadows under her eyes. The little bit of hair that had grown back from her last round of treatment seemed to have fallen out again. She looked like death has already won and she was giving up.

"To be honest, I don't think she will make it through another week. Her kidneys are failing. I actually just signed the papers for her to go on dialysis as well as a DNR. There's no sense in stopping the inevitable, right?"

All I could do was nod. I could tell by the smell of her blood that she didn't have much longer.

"Ren?" Bailey's sleepy voice called out.

I smiled at the nickname that Bailey gave me the first day we met when she had a hard time pronouncing my name. It actually surprised me that she was the first to give me one. I never told anyone else about the name change. To me it made our relationship that much more special.

"Hey, Bailey, I brought you something," I said as I walked over to her bed and placed the pink bag on the small night stand. "You want me to open it for you?"

She nodded and Henry helped adjust her bed so she could sit up. I pulled the tissue paper out and then reached in to grab the wig.

"You need to close your eyes I want to surprise you."

I watched as Bailey closed her eyes. I waved my hand in front of her face and then slid the wig onto her bald head. I tucked all the strays away and then pulled the small hand held mirror out of the bag and held it up on front of her face.

"Okay open your eyes," I whispered near her ear.

Bailey opened her eyes and gasped as she put her hand to her mouth. I watched in silence as she reached up and let her fingers run through her new hair. She was silent as tiny tears began to spill over her eyes.

"You gave me your hair," she whispered.

I smiled. "I would give you the moon if I could. You showed me something, Bailey, and I wanted to say thank you."

I looked over to Henry who was getting ready to walk out the door. He mouthed _Thank You_.

That was a week ago. That was also the same day she told me about her wish. A wish that I knew I could grant easily, but would put her in danger. But if I would have known that the next time I saw her it would be the last I would have taken my chances. So I did the next best thing.

I could tell the minute I walked off the elevator that something was wrong. The nurses, who are usually all bubbly, gave me sad smiles while I walked down the hall to Bailey's room. The smell from her room hit me hard. Death. A smell I never knew, but one I could still distinguish. It was far from fresh blood. Henry was sitting in a chair next to Bailey's bed holding her hand. I learned through the weeks that her parents died in a car crash a few years back and it has been Henry who was taking care of her. He looked up to me and attempted to smile, but I could see the pain in his eyes.

"You're the one that bid a thousand dollars on one of the brothers," he said quietly.

"How did you know?"

"I saw you at the auction. Believe me when I say I was very surprised, but I guess after knowing you a little, it doesn't surprise me anymore."

I shrugged my shoulders. "It's for a great cause. Sad thing is I have no clue who it is that I won. Don't know his name and we haven't really been formally introduced."

"Jacob, sophomore year. He is actually someone I am thinking of asking to take my spot next year as House President."

I allowed his name to roll around in my head. The name seemed natural like it was a name I should have always been saying.

"How's Bailey doing?"

"Her heart stopped a couple of hours ago. I actually asked for them to restart it and put her on machines. I knew that you came on Wednesday's and I figured you would like to say good-bye."

"Thank you, you didn't have to do that."

Henry stood up and kissed Bailey on the forehead. I watched as his lips lingered for a moment before he stood up to his full height. "I'll give you a moment."

I walked over to the bed and pushed the hair out from her face smiling as I took in her appearance. She seemed somewhat at peace, but at the same time I could see her pain. Her breathing was shallow and labored. Her heart beat irregular.

"Bailey," I whispered.

Her eyes attempted to flutter open, but closed again. "You came, Ren," she whispered and it was so quiet that if I were human I would have never heard it. "It hurts."

"I know, honey," I chewed my lip for a moment before placing my hand over hers and squeezing it slightly. It was then that I knew what I had to do next. I reached up with my other hand and wiped away the couple of tears that escaped. "You remember last week when you told me about your favorite movie and that you wished you could meet a real Lycan or vampire?"

She nodded her head slightly. "You found one?"

I shook my head. "No, I didn't find one that wanted to come, but I can show you some."

I closed my eyes and opened my mind and allowed my gift to flow through her mind. I heard her take a sudden gasp at first and then her body relaxed. I showed her my family. Resting a second on each one and letting her know who they were. I showed her my last trip to Isle Esme that we took as a family before I headed off to college. I watched her face with intent as a small peaceful smile played on her lips. I continued to flash pictures at her until the door opened and Henry walked back in with a doctor.

"It's time," Henry whispered as he sat on the opposite side of me and reached for her other hand.

I nodded never letting go of Bailey's hand. I knew I had to concentrate harder to not let my images pass through Bailey and into Henry. I watched as the doctor went over to the machines and one by one flipped the switches. I wanted to wipe the tears away, but for some reason I allowed them to flow freely. I opened my mind and allowed the peacefulness of the waves lapping up against the sandy beaches at the Isle. The sun as it began to set. I continued to hold her hand until the sun was completely gone and the full moon slowly made its way into the night sky. I showed her the eagle that was flying high in the sky. And I listened intently as her slow beating heart took its last beat.

I never knew that death could hurt so badly. I never knew that a little human girl could become my hero. She was like the wind beneath my wings. She allowed me to become a better person and that I could fly higher than I dreamed.

"Come on, Renesmee, you know we have to go," Bee said from the door. "It was part of the agreement."

I lay in my bed looking up at the ceiling. I have not wanted to get out of bed since I said my final good bye to Bailey two days ago. I could care less about the stupid date and road trip that Bee, Nix and I were supposed to be leaving for in an hour.

"I will donate another thousand to the stupid house and charity just to stay here," my voice broke and sounded hoarse from lack of usage.

A knock came from the other side of the door and Bee reached for the handle to open the door. Nix walked in with a large overnight bag.

"Any luck?" Nix asked Bee. I knew she was asking about me.

"Nope, but I did go ahead and pack for her."

I could hear both set of footsteps walking toward me. One of them reached over and pushed my hair out from my eyes.

"Come on, Renesmee, you'll have fun," Nix coaxed. "Bailey would want you to have fun."

I smiled at her name as tears began to run down my cheek again. I knew that deep down Bee and Nix were right, but it felt wrong. I sighed and sat up.

"Fine, I'll go but not because I paid for this person, but because Bailey would want me to go."

I watched as Bee and Nix both smiled triumphantly. I jumped from my bed and walked toward the bathroom to freshen up and change my clothes. An hour later I was in the driver side of my car and watched as three guys came over to the car. Nix immediately jumped out and made introductions.

When I looked over to Jacob who was sitting in the passenger seat next to me I couldn't help but smile. I inhaled deeply to take in his scent that was very distinct and different. His blood didn't smell like any other human blood. Yet the scent seemed familiar, like it was something I have known all my life.

"So, where are we going?" Jacob asked as I peeled out of the parking lot and made my way for the interstate.

I looked over to him through my dark Ray-Ban sunglasses and smiled. "Tijuana, Mexico."

The group of boys let out howls and I couldn't help, but notice how much Jacob sounded like a wolf when he did that. I looked over at him quickly and saw a huge smile on his face, but his eyes…I've seen them before; the same dark chocolate eyes that belonged to the huge wolf from a few weeks ago.

_But how?_


	8. Good Girls

**I want to thank all of you for the great reviews and ideas that you have given me as well. Thanks to my Beta's for reading through! And now the moment that many have been waiting for!**

Chapter 8 Playlist: _Good Girls Gone Bad _by Cobra Starship

Good Girls

Jacob's POV

I couldn't help but stare. I didn't know a thing about this girl except that she had reddish copper color hair and her skin was very pale. Well, there was also the fact that I felt a pull towards her that I couldn't describe. A pull that I have somewhat felt since I saw her nearly three weeks ago when she stumble upon an almost vampire attack. My eyes glanced down to her smooth thighs and followed her long legs until they were lost under the dash. I could tell her feet were small by the way she was able to easily maneuver the clutch and the gas at the same time. She appeared to be perfect, maybe a little too perfect. For me anyways. Then again if I understood the imprint process, my imprint is supposed to be the perfect match to me.

I could hear my house brothers making small talk in the back, even with the wind blowing around. I looked back over to Renesmee and cleared my throat. She quickly glanced my way and attempted to smile before focusing back on the highway. I watched as she sped through LA rush hour like she was on the autobahn in Germany.

_Mhmm, she appears to like for things to go fast._

But deep down I knew I couldn't move fast. I wanted this to last forever. I wanted her forever. If I could just see her eyes to know for sure if she was the one.

I watched as she reached up under her dark sunglasses. It was then that I realized that she was crying.

I leaned over to speak closer to her ear so that she would be able to hear me. "You okay?"

She jumped slightly and turned quickly to look at me before nodding her head. "Fine."

I nodded to confirm. "So, Renesmee, sort of a mouthful. Is it a family name?"

"Yes, I was named after my grandparents."

"Do I get a last name?"

I watched as she chewed on her bottom lip. "Um, Masen. And you?"

"Jacob Black. Why Tijuana?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's my birthday and my friends wanted to stretch my cars legs. Why not?"

"Happy birthday."

"Thanks."

For the next few hours we didn't say anything else. My eyes tried to focus as the cars and trees flew by me. When we came to customs she somehow managed to get us through without so much as a bat of an eye. I could tell that this girl was used to getting what she wants. I mean she put a grand on me.

Eventually she glided into the Hilton Inn that was located right on the beach. I could tell by the glass entrance and the huge fountain up front that hit was not a cheap motel that rents by the hour. I could hear the brother's jaws drop and hit the floor boards as they looked at the place. Granted we lived in LA, but most of us do not get off of campus much.

Renesmee put the car in park and then opened her door. "I will be just a moment."

With that she closed the door and I watched as her hips swung as she walked through the revolving door.

"This is where we are staying?" Brian asked.

"Yes," Nix started. "But don't worry, Renesmee is handling everything."

"Is she rich or something?" Jonathan mumbled.

I could see Bee smile from behind me. "Or something. She doesn't talk about her family. I just know that she comes from money."

A couple of minutes later Renesmee walked back toward the car a few keys dangling from her fingers. She jumped back into the driver seat without even opening the door and I could not help how grateful she appeared to be.

"We will be parking in the garage and walking to the rooms. I have three rooms. The girls and I decided that it would be easier for us to know each other that way. After all we are supposed to be on date."

As much as I thought that spending the weekend with this goddess something in me told me it seemed wrong and fast. Renesmee followed the drive to the large underground parking deck and found a spot quickly. We all climbed out and went to the back of the car while she popped the trunk as well as put the top back up on the car. Together the six of us walked toward the elevator and we piled on. No one really spoke much. I think the guys were trying to keep the goofy grin off their faces at the idea of being in a hotel room with a random chick.

"Bee and Nix, room 783 and 784. I will be in room 785," Renesmee said as she handed over two envelopes with the key cards in them. '

When we reached the seventh floor the elevator dinged open and off we went in search of our hotel rooms. Renesmee stopped in front of room 785, slid her key in and opened the door. She walked in and threw her overnight bag on the bed closes to the door. When I took in the room part of me was disappointed, but grateful at the same time when I saw the two double size beds. I put my bag on the other bed and then walked over to the sliding glass door that opened out to the balcony. The view was beyond beautiful. The crystal clear Pacific ocean and the sandy beaches that looked like hints of glass. Nothing like the beaches back home in La Push.

The wind picked up slightly and I could smell the sweet smelling scent of Renesmee behind me. I turned and she as she reached up and ran her hands through her hair.

"I'm going to take a shower really quick," she smiled as she turned on her heel and walked toward the bathroom. "I thought that we can go take a walk along the beach before dinner. I have reservations made at the Hard Rock for eight. All of us well be going."

She opened the bathroom door and reached up to take off her sunglasses. It was then that I noticed how red and splotchy her face was. She kept her head down and tried the tearstained face with her shoulder length hair.

"That sounds good," I said and walked over to my bed.

I lay back on the bed and crossed my feet eyeing the door anxiously waiting for her to step back out. There were so many questions that I wanted to ask. So many things I wanted to know. I heard the shower cut off and closed my eyes to feign sleep. A few minutes later I heard the door open and the light footsteps as she walked across the room to her bed. She was running a towel through her hair and was wearing a pale yellow sun dress with very thin straps and a plunging bust line that did not leave much to the imagination.

She looked over at me and on reflex I looked over to her. Her eyes appeared to be wide with shock and I think my eyes matched hers. I slowly sat up never breaking contact. Her eyes swirled liked molted chocolate and the pull that I have felt for three weeks felt like the last steel cable that was trying to pull us together was locked down. Locked and pulled straight to her. I wanted to walk over to her and brush the small lock of hair that was falling into her eyes just so I can continue to look at them. I swallowed hard before letting out a shaky breath. After all of these years of searching I finally found her.

"Is everything okay?" she asked as she pulled her hair out of her face and tied it back into a ponytail.

"Um, yeah," I sumbled as I stood up to my feet. "I was just thinking about your name."

She chewed on her lip like she was thinking. "What about my name?"

"I wanted to know what you think of Nessie?"

She wrinkled her nose as she looked at me. "Nessie, like the Loch Ness Monster? You think I'm a monster."

I could see her eyes begin to rim with tears. I shook my head quickly as I walked toward her and put my hands on her shoulders. "No, Nessie, you are far from a monster. I just think Nessie suites you. The Loch Ness Monster is one of a kind fable. I can tell that you are one of a kind."

"I'm almost one of a kind," she mumbled so low under her breath that I barely caught it before she locked her eyes with me again. "Nessie?"

"If that's okay?"

She nodded her head. "I never had a nickname before. At least until recently. A good friend of mine called me Ren, but she passed away a couple of days ago."

She wiped a tear that fell from her eye. So that explains the blotchy red tear stained face. I moved my hands from her shoulders and pulled her closer to me enveloping her into a hug. I lowered my chin to her head and inhaled deeply. Her scent was close to orgasmic being this close to her. My eyes felt like they were going to roll into the back of my head. She felt perfect and so warm. My eyes bugged out when I acknowledged her body temperature. Nobody ever felt warm to me.

"It's nice to have someone warm wrap their arms around me," she mumbled into my chest.

I chuckled slightly. "I was sort of thinking the same thing. Nessie, why are you so warm? Do you feel okay?"

I could feel her shake her head. "No, I just run a high body temperature. What about you?"

"The same." Even though I already knew her reasons and mine were different. I could tell by her smell that she wasn't a wolf.

"I guess we should get going."

She reached down and picked up her wallet and tucked into a pocket that was in her dress. "Here," she handed me a key card. I slid into my pocket while the two of walked toward the door.

We were quiet as we took the elevator down to the lobby and then out to the clear beaches. I reached down and took her tiny hand into my big one and I felt like my heart was re-started with the jolt of energy that flowed through the two of us. I couldn't help but smile at how perfect her hand fit into mine.

"So how long have you lived in California?" I asked wanting to know as much I can about her.

"I just moved here when I started school. What about you?"

"Oh, about six years. I am originally from Washington State. Where's home?"

"My family currently lives in New Hampshire. What about your family, do they still live in Washington?"

I nodded my head. "I believe so." This was a topic I really did not want to discuss. Deep down I felt terrible about how much I have hurt not only my father, but my pack brothers as well when I left. "Tell me about your family?"

"Um, I have big family. My two aunts and two uncles. My Grandparents from my dad's side and then there are my mom and dad of course. We all live together pretty much. We are very close. We would die for one another it if meant we could protect each other. Do you have a big family?"

"No, not really. My mom died when I was a couple of years old. My dad raised my twin sisters. Then there were my friends. We were more like brothers and sister than anything else. Like you, we would die for each other."

We walked in silence for a few minutes. I kept glancing over at her trying to memorize everything. Her eyes a deep chocolate with a few gold specks scattered throughout. Her perfectly shaped brown eyebrows that outlined the almond shape of her eyes. The freckles that lined her nose and the way she wrinkled her nose when while she thought. How my hand wanted to reach out and touch the small mole that was positioned just so under the left side of her jaw barely noticeable to the naked eye.

"So, what do you study?" Nessie asked.

It took me a minute to refocus my attention from my gawking to answering her question. "Oh, um, Sports Medicine. And you?"

"Pediatric Oncology," Nessie looked down to her watch. "Oh, we need to get going. The reservations are in thirty minutes."

We turned around and began to follow our footprints back the way we came, but instead of heading into the hotel we walked farther down the beach until we were outside the decking of Hard Rock Café. I could see Jon and Brian both sitting down with Bee and Nix. The four of them laughing and all holding a beer in their hands.

"Hey, Renesmee," Bee stood up and waved us over. "Jacob, over here!"

The two of walked over to their table which was situated close to the already packed bar. I could see a band warming up a few feet away getting ready to play.

"The guys went ahead and ordered some wings and a bucket of beer," Nix said reaching into the bucket and pulling out two Bud Lights handing one to each of us.

Renesmee shook her head. "No, thanks, I don't drink."

I took mine and popped the top taking a long swig. It felt great going down and I chugged over half in one swallow.

"What do you mean you don't drink?" Jon asked flabbergasted. "We're in college, we all drink."

Nessie shrugged her shoulders. "I just never had the desire to drink."

I watched as she bit her lip and looked down trying to avoid the eyes of the others at the table. I couldn't tell if she looked embarrassed, but if I had to guess at the emotion that was spread across her face I would think she was hiding something.

"Well, we will have to change that," Brian said as he reached over and put an arm around Bee's shoulders moving his fingers to try and get the attention of the waiter.

"Have we decided on anything else," the server said speaking decent English.

"Can we get a bottle of Jose and six shot glasses."

We each continued to give our order and then sat back enjoying the band that began to play. Renesmee appeared to be nervous though, her eyes constantly darting around and on edge.

I leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Hey, you okay?"

She jumped slightly before focusing her eyes on me. "Yeah, I'm just out of my element."

I nodded. "You wanna dance?"

The music slowed as she nodded and I reached over to take her warm hand in mine as I led her to where others were dancing. I put my hand on her slender waist while the other I kept a tight hold on her hand.

"This is nice," she smiled.

I couldn't help but smile and lock my eyes onto her chocolate ones. All I wanted to do was lower my lips and press them against her smooth ones. I wanted to know if she tasted as good as she smelled.

"I've never done this before," she said.

"Never done what?"

"Danced, hung out with friends, thought to jump in a car and just drive across the border. If my family could have heart attacks they would if they found out." She gasped and tried to pull out of my hands, but I held on tighter.

I was confused with her statement. If they could have heart attacks. "What do you mean if they could?"

"Um," she chewed on her bottom lip. "I meant my family would die if they knew I was here. They're very strict."

I could tell she was lying. "You're hiding something."

She jerked her head up to look at me. "You're hiding something, too. I know you're different. I am not completely sure how just yet, but you are."

"Why do you think I'm different?"

She squeezed my hand. "You're hot. Everyone usually feels cool to the touch to me. And then this might seem odd, but you smell good as well. Like the woods, summer sun showers. Then it's just you. Something about you draws me in and it has since the first time I saw you."

I smiled knowing that I had an effect on her. "You smell good to me as well. Sweet like chocolate and cinnamon and apples. You're warm to the touch as well. You have had an effect on me as well when I first saw you."

She leaned in farther and rested her head on my chest and let out a heavy sigh. "I can't explain it, but I feel safe with you and I have felt safe with you since I saw you save Nix from the vam," she stopped suddenly and opened her eyes wide.

I tensed as well. I wasn't sure how she figured it out, but I could tell that she did. As much as I would love to tell her everything about me I knew I couldn't. I just officially met her not even ten hours earlier. I knew that it was time to change the direction of the conversation and guide her back to the table when the song ended and I could see the food being brought out.

"Come on lets go eat dinner," I unwrapped my hands from her and moved to the table.

I could see that the other four finished off another bucket of beer and already had a line of shot glasses filled with tequila.

"We decided to play a little game," Bee said bouncing in her seat.

I eyed them suspiciously. "What kind of game?"

Nix rolled her eyes. "A drinking game."

"I don't think so," Nessie said quickly before picking up a fry and popping it in her mouth.

"AWE come on, Renesmee, let lose a little." Bee whined.

Nessie eyed the gold liquor that sat in front of her. "You know what, you're right. I'm in college I should enjoy this huma…um this experience."

Bee and Nix clapped their hands together excitedly.

"So how do I play?" Nessie asked as she reached out for the glass.

"We will play truth. One person will ask a question. If the answer to the question is true take a drink if not then you don't."

I furrowed my brow together. This would be a good way to get to know Nessie, but I wasn't sure if it was the best way for her to get to know me.

"Okay," Nessie smiled and moved the glass closer to her.

"I'll go first," Jon said. "Don't worry I will start light. I don't like chemistry."

Jon reached down and took a drink while the rest of us followed suit. Well, all of us but Nessie.

"You like chemistry?" Bee asked shocked.

"Yeah, I'm in school for medicine."

"I love sleeping in late," Bee said while all of us reached for our glasses. I dumped it down the back of my throat, the liquor stinging slightly.

I looked over to Nessie who wrinkled her nose and then stuck her tongue out in distaste. "God, this stuff is awful! You guys enjoy drinking this stuff?"

Bee drank another shot and when we all realized that it was Nessie's turn and that she asked a question the rest of us took the next shot.

"I'm not a virgin," Nix said lifting her glass high in the air before dropping it into her mouth. Everyone else but Nessie swallowed their drink.

I was shocked to find out that she was a virgin. Then again she did seem to have aura of innocence about her.

"I never kissed a guy," I said throwing my drink back along with Jon, Brian and Nessie.

"Oh my God," Nix said with shock written all over her face. "You never kissed a guy before?"

Renesmee slid her chair out from the table and stood up. "I'm going to back to the hotel. I'm not feeling very well."

Bee and Nix looked at each other quickly before Bee spoke again. "Sorry, Renesmee you said you lived a sheltered life, but I just didn't know it was this sheltered."

Nessie shook her head in disagreement. "It's not that. I don't like the taste and I'm not feeling very good. Have fun and put the bill on the hotel's tab."

She walked away from me and I felt like rubber bands were pulling me tighter and tighter as she walked away. "I'm going to go with her guys, make sure she makes it back. I'm tired anyways."

I stood up quickly and began to follow Nessie. I turned the corner and stopped in my tracks when a scent hit me hard. I could feel the tremor run through my body, but I kept it under control as I quickly ran the rest of the way to Nessie.

"Nessie what up," I called out before reaching out and taking her hand.

She halted and looked up at me. She inhaled deeply before letting out a shaky breath. Her eyes got wide as she inhaled again and I realized she was breathing in. "Oh, Jacob you didn't need to come with me."

How wrong was she on that one, but as I watched her I could see her eyes getting bigger with each breath. "We need to leave," the two of us said together.

"Wait, what?" I asked why would she realize there's danger.

"You're right, it's not safe out here; let's get back to the room."

_Yep, definitely hiding something._


	9. Need You Now

Chapter 9 Playlist: _Need you Now_ by Lady Antebellum

I Need You Now

Renesmee's POV

I knew who Jacob was as soon as I looked into his eyes the second we walked into the hotel room. He had the same eyes as the wolf that saved Nix and most likely myself a few weeks ago from that vampire. The only thing I couldn't figure out was how. How can a man transform himself into a wolf? Believing in the supernatural was never an issue for me. After all, look at what I am as well as my family.

And he being a wolf was not the only thing that was bothering me. From the moment we looked into each others eyes there seemed to have been a connection. Then the small amount of electricity that sparked between us when he took hold of my hand while walking down the beach. Something was there between us. Then there was his voice; a voice that I felt like I have heard before, but couldn't place. After all how could I when I have only met him a few hours before? But something in me told me that I could trust him, that he would keep me safe.

Yet, while walking away from my friends and their dates to go back to the hotel room, Jake keeping me safe was farthest from my mind when I smelt it. He and I locked eyes and I could tell that he smelt it too, but again with the questioning. How could he? The scent of the vampire is sweet and inviting. Jacob turned his nose up like it was the most disgusting smell in the world.

He took hold of my arm and began to lead me toward the hotel room, walking fast even for me.

"Jacob," I tried to jerk my arm out of his grasp. "We need to get the others."

I was not about to leave Bee and Nix as well as Brian and Jon out in the open if there was a vampire on the prowl. I may not be able to fight one off, but I sure as hell will be able to warn them and get them to the safety of the hotel. After all, there is strength in numbers.

"Nessie, we can't, we need to leave now."

"Wait why?"

I knew why, but I wanted to hear him say it.

"Just trust me, please, let me take care of you," I could see his eyes pleading with me.

I wanted to trust him and I felt like I could, but after all I am the daughter of the two most stubborn people in the world. "I don't even know you."

He let out a sigh of frustration but never broke eye contact and as I continued to look I felt myself getting sucked in deeper into his dark orbs.

"Please," he whispered.

I began to think about my parents and what they would want me to do. My father and mother's face flashed through my mind and Jacob gasped letting go of my arms. He took a couple of steps away from me, his eyes big and I could see confusion written all over his face.

_Did I just lose control of my gift?_ After years of practice, I have been able to control my gift of touch and only project images when needed. I didn't even need to use my hands. As I grew, my power appeared to grow as well.

"Wh...Who was that?" he asked.

"You saw that?" I asked quietly as he nodded his head. "Not here."

I was about to turn around and get everyone when my phone rang. I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at the caller ID. I sighed. I was in no mood to talk to anyone in my family. I quickly hit end and let the voice mail pick up knowing that if it ends up being terribly important they will call me back in fifteen minutes. They knew I was out of town with my friends.

Jacob followed me back toward the Hard Rock and when we stepped on the deck I saw that the table we were sitting at was empty.

"Where are they?" I asked my heart rate beginning to speed up.

"I don't know, maybe they went back to the hotel?" Jacob asked.

I shook my head. "We would have passed them or at least if they took the street back."

"They could have taken the beach," Jacob said.

I turned to look down the beach in the direction of the hotel and noticed that it was pretty much empty of people. I cursed myself for not having the same eye sight as my dad. My eye sight was better than humans but not nearly that of a full vampire. I reached into my pocket to pull out my phone just as it started to vibrate.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hey, Renesmee," Bee said. "We came to the hotel to see how you're feeling, but you're not here. Are you okay?"

I let out a breath and looked over to Jacob who was watching me and I could see his brow relaxing like he was able to hear Bee himself.

"We came back to see how you all were doing. We'll be there soon."

"Okay, bye," Bee said and hung up the phone before I even said bye myself.

"They already went back to the hotel," I said.

Jacob nodded. "Then how about we take a walk and you can tell me what's going on and what happened when you showed me _them_."

I couldn't help but flinch slightly at how he mentioned my parents. "I can't. For your own good."

He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at me. "I know a lot more about _our_ world," he emphasized the word our and pointed between the two of us. "Then you know. And after what happened a few weeks ago, I can tell you aren't that afraid. So tell?"

His voice changed. It almost sounded dominating, controlling, much like an order and I couldn't help but shake slightly.

"Fine," I huffed giving into his command. "I'll tell you something about me, if you tell me how is it you can transform into a wolf."

His eyes nearly bugged out of his eyes at the mention of what he can do. "How did you…"

"I saw you. You saved Nix that night. What I don't understand is how and why?"

He let out a breath. "Can we go walk along the beach?"

I hesitated wondering if he would actually tell me or not. "I promise I will tell you as much as I can and then some."

I nodded and then followed him off the deck. I reached down and took my sandals off so that I could walk barefoot. It has been a long time since I have been at the beach and I have always loved the feeling of sand between my toes.

"You're right, I can transform into a wolf," Jacob started. "My tribe back in Washington has a gene to shift so that we can protect our people."

"Protect them from what?"

"The Cold Ones, most call them vampires."

I stopped walking and I think I stopped breathing. He was put on this planet to protect the human race from vampires, my family, myself.

"Okay, now that's how I know you know something, most people would be scared shitless to know that there are things like myself or vampires, but you stand there slightly in shock, but not laughing at me. So your turn, those people, those _vampires_," he snarled. "How do you know them and why?"

"Um," I was stalling. As much as I wanted to tell him and the fact that he was already able to tell what my parents are, I was scared. Something about Jacob drew me in and for the first time I began to think that I have found someone like myself. But instead I have found my enemy.

"Renesmee, who are they?" His voice had that strange timbre to it again.

"My parents," I whispered looking down at the ground.

It was quiet. I looked up quickly and saw that he was walking backwards and shaking his head. I knew that after this trip and as soon as my parents found out that I told this random person, who happens to be our enemy, what and who my parents are that I'll need to leave UCLA.

"That's not possible. I was there when she was pregnant and that was only nine years ago," he said in a whisper but I was still able to hear him perfectly.

"My mother had me exactly nine years ago tomorrow," I started to explain.

"She died, didn't she? You ended up killing her? That's why it ended all of a sudden. The pull I had to be around her. She died and the pull stopped. I felt it that day."

I shook my head confused. "I have no idea what you're talking about. My mother did almost die, but my father saved her."

"So you're telling me that you're only nine years old. How is that even possible? You look like you're eighteen."

"I aged quickly. I'm now immortal. I won't age anymore."

"I gotta go," and just like that Jacob was gone.

I watched as he turned on his heel and walked in the opposite direction of the hotel. I let out a breath that I didn't even know I was holding. I watched as he walked away, but at the same time it felt like and elastic band was being stretched and a part of me was going with him.

"Jacob, please don't." I whispered.

He stopped and looked over his shoulder. "I need to think."

His voice was so familiar and as I closed my eyes to think more about how I knew it. My eyes flew open and I ran quickly to catch up to him much faster than I should have knowing there were humans around. I grabbed hold of his arm and he stopped. His eyes were dark and almost dangerous looking when I looked up into them.

"I know you," I said and couldn't believe the confidence I held. "You were there. You knew my mother. Your voice was there. I remember. You left us." I shook my head. "No, that's not it, you left me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I've felt you. I've heard you. All my life I could hear your voice, but I never knew who it belonged to. I always felt like a part of me was missing. That was you, wasn't it?"

Jacob looked everywhere around him, but not once did he meet my gaze. I continued to think back to right before I was born. The faint memory flashing in my eyes quickly. I reached and put my hand on his arm and gave him the same image.

The image was fuzzy because I didn't know anyone's faces yet, but you could tell by the voice's who they belonged to. I remember something jingle and then being caught. Someone saying Jacob leave now.

"You left the day that my father could hear my thoughts. And you never came back."

I couldn't explain why, but it hurt knowing that he left and I didn't even know him. I wanted to know him, but now I'm not sure that would ever happen.

I reached up and wiped a tear that I didn't even know began to fall out of my eye. I couldn't even say why I was really crying. I let go of his arm and then began to walk toward the hotel.

"I'm going to go to bed. Um, I guess I'll see you around," I mumbled.

I walked a few feet before turning around to see if he was still behind me. I wasn't even really sure why, everything in me told me he wasn't there anymore and I was right.

I opened the door to my hotel room and went over to the balcony. It was stupid of me to get upset at someone I didn't even know. I was already ready to leave and get back to school. At least then I will be able to throw myself into my studies. Even though the chances of knowing I would not be able to totally avoid Jacob once we get back to UCLA, I at least had a better chance of avoiding him there than I do right now. He had a key to the room and his stuff was here. He had to come back at some point. The question was: Did I want him to?

I'm not sure when I feel asleep, I just remember waking up to the sound of my phone buzzing letting me know that I had a voice mail. I rubbed my eyes and stood up reaching into the pocket of my sundress that I was still wearing. I flipped it open and hit number one to speed dial the mailbox. The sound on the other end was enough to make my breath catch in my throat and my heart stop.

I tried to breath, but I couldn't. I tried to swallow the lump that was in my throat, but it wouldn't budge as the phone dropped from my hand and landing on the floor by me feet. I felt my back leaning against the door and my knees giving out as I slid down the door.

"No," I whispered. "No. No. No."

I laid my head on the cold tile that was in the room finding relief in the coldness. I allowed it to wrap itself around me. The feeling reminding me of my parents arms around me. My eyes never moving as I curled myself up into a ball and watched my phone hoping that it will ring and it would all be a joke. A very bad and sadistic one, but a joke none the less. After all Emmett has always been known to joke around with me.

I'm not sure if I remember even blinking when I felt warm hands brush against my forehead to brush the strands of hair out from my eyes.

"Nessie?" A husky voice called out to me, but I ignored it. There was only one voice that I wanted to hear and now I wasn't even sure I will be able to hear it ever again.

"No, no, no," I began to mumble and that's when I felt it, the moisture that was threatening to overflow from my eyes.

"Nessie, what's wrongs? What happened? Tell me so I can help."

I looked up to the dark eyes of Jacob and saw pain there. "Jake?" My voice was hoarse like I haven't used it in a while. "You came back."

He smiled slightly. "Of course I came back. I realized that I'm not able to be without you for very long."

He continued to run his fingers through my hair. "You're my world and I can see now that you have always been my world even way back when. Now tell me what's wrong."

I shook my head. I wasn't ready. To say it out loud would make it real. For right now I just wanted to feel protected and safe. I just wanted to be held.

"Hold me," I whispered.

Jacob nodded and picked me up to carry me to my bed. He pulled back the covers and laid me down. He rolled over next to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I sighed with content and tried to close my eyes.

Rest. That's all I needed right now. I will deal with the message from my Aunt Alice after I've slept. Thinking with a clear head is better than thinking with a tired head.

Jacob's POV

I left. I turned around and I walked away. Almost eight years has gone by and I have not thought much about Bella Swan. And then her daughter walks into my life; the daughter that I was ready to kill when she and _Edward_ came back from their honeymoon and I saw her beaten and broken. I stuck around for a couple of days because Bella asked me to, but the minute that Edward heard that _thing's_ thoughts I bolted. The family was about to become a happy little family and I was going to be kicked out like the dog they already thought I was.

I sighed in frustration as I rubbed my hands over my face. Now, here she was the daughter of Edward and Bella Cullen, an eight year old who looks to be twenty. How the fuck does that happen? Then again I guess I shouldn't talk. I went through a huge growth spurt when I first phased.

I remembered waking up that morning in September knowing something was different. My thoughts about Bella just seemed to disappear. The only explanation at the time was that Bella died. Well, in a way she did die, she's a leech now.

I sat down in the sand and looked out at the water as the waves crashed towards shore. I guess it makes since. The thing that always attracted me to Bella must be the girl that was growing inside of her. But Renesmee is half of what I hate; A half that I am born to destroy. Yet, knowing that my imprint is here, she's the reason I have to live and breathe. I was holding her hand. A hand that was warm to my touch. I looked into her deep, dark chocolate eyes, the same eyes that were Bella's. My hand wanted to run through her thick reddish bronze color hair that was so curly that it reminded me of Charlie's hair.

"Argh," I reached over and put a hand over my heart. A pain shot through me like I have never felt before. It hurt to even breathe.

I closed my eyes to focus on the pain and finally it kicked in that it was my heart breaking.

"Renesmee," I breathed as I stood up and ran down the beach back to the hotel.

I didn't know what was wrong only that Nessie was in pain and the closer I came to our room the less the pain was, but, at the same time, fear was running through me. I put my key card into the door and turned the knob slowly. I knew she was alone since I have not picked up any other scents, but what I saw when I entered the room fully came close to knocking me down to my knees.

There sitting on the cold tile floor was my Nessie. _Wow, my Nessie_. That came out of nowhere and how easily it came. She was laying down her arms wrapped around herself. I couldn't help but think of Bella from so many years ago when Edward left her. Nessie looked like she was trying to hold herself together.

I cleared the distance in five long strides and knelt down next to her. I reached out slowly not wanting to scare her, but wanting to touch her none the less. I had the instinct to protect her, to hold her, to make sure she wasn't hurt.

"Nessie?" I asked quietly.

She pulled into herself even farther and began to shake her head. "No, no, no." I watched as tears fell from her already puffy red eyes.

"Nessie, what's wrong? What happened? Tell me so I can help." I pleaded with her.

"You came back." She said I could tell that she has been crying for a while.

I smiled down at her. "Of course I came back. I realized that I'm not able to be without you for very long." I reached out and rubbed my hands through her long locks. "You're my world and I can see now that you have always been my world even way back when. Now tell me what's wrong."

"Hold me," she whispered.

I nodded and put one arm around her back and the other under her legs. I lifted her up and carried her over to the bed. I balanced her in one arm while I pulled the blankets down. I had no clue what was wrong, all I knew was that she needed me now.

Her eyes fluttered closed while her breathing began to steady. She rolled over and put her hand across my chest and I gasped as I began to see images come at me. I recognized everyone. Bella, Edward, the little Pixie, Blondie, the emotional one, and the huge one as well as Doc and Esme. I was surprised that I even remembered any of their names. The faces slowly went in and out of focus until they finally disappeared. At first, it was a shock to see all of them unchanged, then again why would they have changed, gotten older, they were frozen chunks of rock. Dead. And my Nessie was one of them. Well, not totally, but might as well be.

I remember how quickly Bella's pregnancy progressed so I guess it shouldn't have fazed me that she would have aged quickly as well. Would she keep growing and getting older, eventually dying? If that was the case, I knew I couldn't live without her in my life. I would finally be able to give up being a wolf. Did I want to give that up? Sometimes yes, but it is also the only thing that truly still connects me to my past. But was there anyone even back in La Push?

Renesmee rolled over onto her stomach and let out a sigh. I moved onto my back and looked up to the ceiling. I left dad all alone without any word on how I was doing. Of course he had Rachel, but by now, she is probably married to Paul and popping out kids. God, I could be an Uncle.

Kids. Something I never really thought of until now. Me, a father? I know it's premature, but could a half vampire even have kids?

I looked over to Nessie, her mouth pursed together and her brow knitted. She's beautiful and perfect. I could tell that she was dreaming again, but by the facial expression didn't look like she was walking down memory lane. I wanted to reach down and take her hand and see if anymore pictures came to me, but I wasn't sure how her power even worked. If she can put things into my head, is she able to pull things out much like her father who could read minds. God, that was annoying as hell.

I rubbed my face in frustration. I should be sleeping, but instead I am lying next to a beautiful girl who is the daughter of my worst enemy. I throw the covers off of me and sit up.

"No."

I look behind me and see Nessie holding tighter to the sheets.

"Please, don't leave me."

I laid back down and tried to pull her closer to me. She fit perfectly in the crock of my neck. It was almost like she was made for the spot.

"Shh, I've got you," I whispered as I ran my fingers back through her hair.

I woke up a few hours later with the sun blaring in through the cracks of the heavy hotel curtains. I looked over to see Nessie sitting up in bed facing away from me.

"Morning," she whispered.

_How did she know I was even a wake?_

"Morning, Renesmee," I said my voice hoarse. "You okay?"

She took a deep breath, her shoulders shaking a little as she let it out. "I'm sorry for last night. The way you found me on the floor. I don't know what got into me."

I stood up and walked over to the other side of the bed and kneeled down in front of her taking hold of her hands into my big ones. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm sorry I stormed off like that last night."

"Yeah, sorry about that as well. I guess there are some questions that we both have."

I nodded my head in agreement. "Yeah, but how about we start with what happened last night when I came in here. You looked like you were in pain. Actually, I know you were in pain because I could feel it."

She looked up into my eyes and I saw how blood shot her eyes was. "How did you know that I was hurting or in trouble?"

I shrugged, I wasn't really sure if I was ready to have the conversation of imprinting with her. "Um, it's a wolf thing. Legends say that there is one person out there that is our perfect match. And when we find that person we are connected like a puzzle piece. You're my puzzle piece."

"So, I'm not crazy, you were the voice I heard?" She asked quietly.

I nodded my head. "Yes, your mother and I were really close. The last time I saw her she was pregnant with you. But we have plenty of time to talk more about our past later. I want to know what happened last night."

Nessie turned her head and looked at her cell phone that was sitting on the tile floor. "I'm not sure."

I reached up and brushed a strand of hair out from her face. "Well, when you're ready to talk, I'll listen."

She nodded and opened her mouth to say something when a knock came from the other side of the door.

"Renesmee, Jacob, you guys up. It's gorgeous out, we need to go stake claim on the beach," Nix said loudly.

Nessie let out a heavy and loaded sigh. I could tell that she wasn't really in the mood to go out.

"Go ahead," I yelled. "We'll meet you there."

After a couple of minutes of no response I assumed everyone left. I went to stand to change into a pair of board shorts when Nessie reached out and took my hand.

"This wolf thing," she started. "Does it mean you will always be there for me whenever I need you?"

I nodded. "It's like love at first sight, but I am whatever you want me to be. What do you need Nessie?"

She reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek. "I think I need you now. I think I'm alone. I…"

Her voice died off and reached up to touch my face. I was bombarded with images again, but this time it was mainly faceless people and voices.

"_Renesmee, I saw something, I can't explain it. I think something really bad is going to happen. Whatever you do, do not come home, please. If you don't hear from me by Monday when we do our wake up call, you need to leave the school and go. I don't care where. Use cash or the American Express Black card. Your mom actually would like for you to try and find someone, she thinks he will be able to help. The best place to start will be In La Push. His name is Jake he was your mom's best friend. She says that he will protect you. Keep running though…"_

I could hear the panic in the voice that sounded much like the little black haired Pixie. Her voice trailed off and the word vision flashed in front of me, Nessie explaining that she was having a vision.

"_Edward, there coming, we need to leave now!"_ Then there was the sound of broken glass and wood splintering before it went quiet.

Nessie moved her hand from my face while I looked at her with wide eyes. "What was that?"

"A message that was on my phone. I don't know what happened. But something did. Are you who Alice mentioned?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

**I want to thanks everyone who has been reading and leaving me great reviews. As you can tell things are going to be getting interesting. My updates wiso hang tightll continue to come roughly once a week. Keep reading! I am working on the next chapter so hang tight!**

**Sara  
**


	10. Forever Young

**A/N: Good afternoon all figured I would get this posted before heading out the door to watch Eclipse! Going to the midnight viewing. Beyond excited! Sorry it has taken me so long to get this up. I have been out of commission the last few days (almost week) now due to burns from work. I received 1-3****rd**** degree burns on my face, chest, and arms due to a minor gas leak at the restaurant that I own with my parents. Let's just say it hurt like hell and I look like hell but it is healing decent. Spent the first 2 days in bed asleep and then the last four days doing nothing but reading Fanfiction and working on this story. I have read some great Jake and Nessie stories and updated my community of those stories so check it out in my profile!**

I want to say thanks to everyone that reviewed the last chapter I was overwhelmed by the response! You'll are awesome. Thank you to my Beta's for helping me nail this down. Have a wonderful week and enjoy the movie!

Chapter 10 Playlist: _Forever Young_ by Jay-Z

Forever Young

Renesmee's POV

"Well, well, well, look who decided to finally join us!" Bee exclaimed when Jacob and I walked out toward Nix, Bee, Jonathan and Brian's umbrella that claimed a patch of white sand. "We were beginning to think you guys were never going to come out."

"Yes, Renesmee," Nix said, waggling her eyebrows up and down suggestively. "Care to tell your best friends what the two of you have been doing."

I shrugged my shoulders indifferently. "Nothing, just talking, you know getting to know each other better."

"Yeah," Bee said as she stood up and wiped the sand off of her bottom. "No one can just talk for the last 14 hours since we last saw you."

I watched as Jacob rolled his eyes as he reached down and grabbed a beer from the cooler that the guys brought. He handed me a bottle of water knowing that I did not care for liquor or beer. It was strange how he has been able to know exactly what I wanted and when without even thinking about it. I guess it really has to do with the wolf thing, Imprinting. Whatever it was, it was nice.

I sat down on the giant blanket and pulled out my biology book to study for an exam that I had coming up. It felt nice to feel the hot rays of the sun beating down on my back. This was something that I was always grateful for, the sun. I could never get enough of it. Living with a houseful of vampires tends to mean no sunny days, or at least not very often.

"You coming?" Nix asked as she stood up as well to follow Bee out towards the water.

I shook my head as I ran the highlighter over some words in the textbook. "No, going to catch up with some work. Go ahead, I'll join you later."

Nix shrugged her shoulders and went after the boys and Bee. I put the highlighter in the book and closed it. I was tired. Last night was not the most peaceful. I kept dreaming about my family and trying to figure out if they were okay. Alice's message was odd. I knew she had to have had a couple of visions and then the one in the end is what boggled me the most.

Who was coming? For what? Alice told me not to go home and it was hard to stay here and not jump in my car and make the cross country trip back to New Hampshire. The only thing or person actually, that kept me grounded and here was Jacob. He held me all night and kept me safe. I enjoyed having his warm arms around me and listening to his heart beat. It was odd at first having someone warm and not ice cold run their fingers through my hair. But at the same time it felt like he's done it my whole life.

I know that the chances were good that he has seen much of my dreams. With my gift of transmitting images and thoughts through touch I tend to not have control of it while sleeping. I shuddered at the thought of what I could have dreamed about last night.

I grabbed my phone to check for the hundredth time so far this morning to see if there has been a phone call yet from Aunt Alice or my mom, somebody who would tell me what was going on. As always, though, it came up empty, proving the point that they still thought of me as a child. Granted I might be only nine years old, but I have yet to age in the last two years. At last check Carlisle thought that I am that of the age of a twenty-one year old making me older than my mom and dad.

"So, what did you and Jacob do last night after you all left?" Nix came up and sat next to me on the blanket her hair dripping wet.

I looked over to her. "Nothing, we just talked."

At least I wished that we just talked. Talking would have been normal. But no, we had secrets and somehow they all managed to come out in a matter of twenty-four hours. Okay, all secrets might be an over statement, but we might as well have disclosed everything. The only problem I had was not really knowing much more about him than he did me. Yet, it felt like we have always known each other.

"Just talk?" Nix asked with disbelief. "That body of hotness and neither one of you made a move?"

"Did I hear hotness?" Bee asked coming up and sitting on my other side.

"Yes, Bee, you did," Nix looked back over at me. "It seems that Renesmee is a little old fashioned. Can you believe that the two of them did nothing last night?"

Bee looked wide eyed. "Not even a kiss?"

I could feel my checks heat up. "I barely know him," I hissed. "Why, what did the two of you do?"

I watched as my two best friends exchanged looks and then became really quiet. Now it was my turn for my eyes to bug out of my head. "No way, you both had sex? With complete strangers?"

"They're not strangers," Nix got defensive. "We go to school with them, we've…talked…and ….stuff."

"Yeah," Bee picked up. "This is supposed to be a weekend of fun and letting go. So, let go a little, what's it going to hurt?"

I picked up my pen and chewed on the end. What's it going to hurt? Letting my guard down could hurt a lot in the end. I knew that Jacob wasn't human per se, but I had no clue really what he was. I could already tell that we connected on a strange level. Hell, I recognized his voice from inside my mother's womb. I remember even feeling like a part of me was missing since the last time I heard his rough voice, but what did all that mean?

Then last night while I was on the floor crying wanting nothing more than feeling Jacob holding me, protecting me, he told me that he will never let me be alone again. I am on this earth forever, immortal and trapped while he can age and eventually die. Why bring my heart into that? But at the same time why not open up a little; after all I am the only one that will get hurt. If Mom and Dad were able to make it work, why couldn't I? The answer: I think I would die too if he wasn't around.

"Earth to Renesmee," I blinked as Nix waved her hand in front of my face. "Someone is really in deep thought."

I smiled. "Yeah, just thinking about what you all said about letting loose a little, after all you only live once, right?"

Nix and Bee smiled and both said right at the same time.

"So what are we going to do about it?" Nix asked.

I gathered up my books and pulled out my phone to check the time. "I'm going to go back to the room and get changed for dinner. How about we all go out to a club tonight? It is our last night and we will need to leave tomorrow at check out."

Bee and Nix bent down to pack up their bags as well. The boys began to walk up toward us and together we all walked back toward the hotel room promising to meet up by the elevators at six for a quick bite to eat and then hitting the strip to go club hopping. At least I will be able to cross this human experience off of my list.

Once the door was closed behind us, Jacob turned toward me and I could see a question in his eyes. We haven't spent much time together on the beach so we never really talked about last night or Alice's vision, nor has the mystery scent of the vampire came up.

"No, I haven't heard anything," I said answering his unasked question.

He reached out and took my hand leading me over to the bed and sat me down. "I think we need to talk about a couple of things."

I nodded in agreement. "Okay, like what?"

He cleared his throat. "What the plan is?"

My brow furrowed together in confusion. "What plan?"

"When we get back to UCLA."

I nodded. "I'll be leaving like Alice said if I don't get a phone call."

"Yeah, but she said to go find me, you already did, so what next."

I shrugged, I really had no idea. "I don't know. Alice has never been able to see me, but she has always been able to see me through my family's decisions; I'll be flying solo. She always has been able to make the big decisions."

Jacob reached out for my hand. "You won't be flying solo; I'll be there every step of the way, Nessie. Like I said last night, I'm here and I won't ever let you go."

I looked into his dark brown eyes that almost appeared to be black. "You're going to have to say good bye eventually."

"The only way I'll say goodbye is if you send me away, but I promise I will never be far behind you."

"Jacob, you're going to grow old and die," I said sadly thinking about all the pain my heart would go through. "I'm virtually indestructible and immortal."

I watched as Jacob's mouth turned into a small grin. "Then I guess that will explain why I never felt the urge to quit phasing."

Now it was my time to be even more confused than I was before. "What do you mean about phasing?"

"Phasing is what it's called when I turn into a wolf. As long as I keep phasing I will never grow old and I am virtually indestructible as well. What we talked about last night, the imprinting, it's for the wolf to find its perfect half. Our mates, we mate for life and as long as our imprint is still alive, so will the wolf."

My heart began to speed up as I thought about his words. "So, we'll be together forever?"

It almost sounded too good to be true. All I have been wanting is to be able to find someone that I can share my life with and here he was looking into my eyes and holding my hand. It was almost a little too easy though.

Jacob nodded. "As long as you'll want me."

I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him with all of my strength and inhaling deeply his scent that calmed me. "I don't think I'm ever going to want to let you go."

He reached around me and pulled me closer to him. His body heat sending chills down my spine; our bodies fitting into each other perfectly. The two of us held each other for a few minutes before we eventually let go.

"You're butt's ringing," Jacob smiled slightly.

"What?"

"I think your phone is ringing."

"Oh," I pulled my phone out of my back pocket of my shorts and flipped it open quickly when I saw that it was my mother.

"Mom," I smiled and looked up to see Jacob stiffen slightly. "Thank God you're alright. What in the world is going on, I had a voice mail from Alice."

"Renesmee," Mom said quietly. "You need to listen to me and follow what I say exactly."

I could hear the panic in her voice and I think that Jacob was able to hear her as well, but wanted to know more as he moved closer to me.

"Yeah, I'm listening."

"You need to find an old friend of mine…"

"Yeah, Jacob Black, I actually already ran into him. We happen to be going to UCLA together."

"Oh, thank God, now you won't need to be on a wild goose chase."

"Can you tell me what this is about and why I would need him?"

Jacob's brow moved together as well as he tried to put pieces together.

"Do you know how you can get in touch with him I would actually like to talk to him?"

I nodded and then remembered she can't see me. I looked over to Jacob and he held his hand out for the phone. "Yeah, mom, he's actually here with me now. We're in Mexico together with Nix and Bee."

"Let me talk to him, I only have a couple of minutes before they realize I'm on the phone."

Confused by the crypticness of mom's voice I handed the phone over to Jacob.

"Bells," Jacob breathed into the phone and I could see the tension rolling off of his shoulders and his eyes turning distant like he was reliving a memory. "How are you?"

"Jacob, I see you found my daughter." I leaned closer to hear everything and could tell that she was talking a little fast.

Jacob looked over to me and smiled. "Yeah, she's beautiful Bells, she has your eyes."

"Jake, I'm sorry to ask you this, but know that even after all these years I have always considered you my best friend and I need you now."

The urgency in mom's voice made Jacob tense. "What's going on?"

"You're going to take Renesmee back to her dorm tomorrow; the place has been cleaned of her stuff. On the bed you will find a box. Pick it up and leave. "

"Leave to go where?" He asked looking at me.

"Jacob just keep her safe and I'll be in touch. Destroy this phone as soon as you hang up. And whatever you do any time that we talk to each other never mention a location, you got it."

I grabbed the phone from Jacob quickly. "Mom, you're scaring me, what's going on?"

"Listen to Jacob, Renesmee, and promise. Please," Mom said with panic in her voice.

"Okay, I love you."

"I love you, too," Mom said and I could hear her choking up. "More than my own life."

Jacob took the phone back. "Hey Bells, I promise that I will protect her."

"I know you will," she started. "I also know that you imprinted."

"H-how did you know?"

"The day you left I felt like a part of me left with you, but as soon as Renesmee was born that feeling disappeared; although I could always tell in her eyes that a part of her was missing. It was you. That's why I know you're the one to take care of her. "

"I will."

There wasn't a response back from Mom and Jacob closed the phone. He and I locked eyes and I could tell that we were both trying to decipher exactly what mom was saying. Jacob squeezed the phone harder in his hands until it was just a crumbled piece of metal. When he stood up and dropped the remains into the garbage I couldn't help but feel alone and broken.

"Something's wrong," I whispered as I stood up and began to pack up my overnight bag moving around the small hotel room faster than a human pace. "I need to go."

I knew that Mom said I need to stay with Jacob, that I was to listen to him, but everything in my being told me I need to leave. I needed to find my parents. I needed to go home. I walked into the bathroom and grabbed my brush and other toiletries and ran back to the room to throw it into the bag. I noticed that Jacob hasn't moved from his spot by the garbage can. I zipped up the bag and threw it over my shoulder. I reached onto the bed to grab my keys to my car and ran toward the door.

My hand touched the knob to turn when I felt a warm large hand over mine. "No, Nessie. You can't leave."

I shook my head. "I need to get to them," I could feel the moisture in my eyes. "I need to know they're okay."

I could feel myself breaking with each second I stood here. Each second that passed with Jacob blocking my way of escape to see my parents was like a piece of me breaking apart and falling. I could feel Jacob move a hand to my cheek and I tried to relax into his touch.

"Listen to me, Nessie, we're going to listen to your mom. She said to take you back tomorrow and then leave. We can't leave right now without your friends."

My mind reflexively went to my family. They needed me. I knew that I had to listen, but the urge to protect was greater. How could my mom possibly think that I could just sit by and wait while something unfold?

"That's not what you're doing, Nessie," Jacob said quietly as my eyes grew larger. "You are not sitting by; you are listening to your parents who are protecting you from something or someone."

"I didn't mean to," I shook my head to clear it.

"How does it work anyways?" Jacob asked. "Your gift."

I dropped my bag and walked over to the bed suddenly feeling tired. "It's a power of projection. When I was little I could show people my thoughts and images by touching them. It works best when I place my hand on their face. As I grew older I learned that I can project my thoughts, images and emotions without touch and over a larger space. My power works similar to that of both my dad and mom."

"Edward's power was always annoying. Always in my head," Jacob mused.

"Tell me about. He can take your thoughts without touch as I guess you know; whereas I can put those thoughts into other's heads."

"Tell me about Bella."

"Mhmm," I thought for a second as my mom's face popped into my thoughts. "She has a very powerful and unusual gift. She's a shield; she can protect her mind from anything mental. Like my dad can't read her thoughts."

"He never has been able to," Jacob said quietly.

"Yeah, well, she can also protect others as well and can stretch her shield out over a great distant. Which is how my projection works, or at least that's what we think. So what about you? I can tell from the conversation a few minutes ago with Mom that you guys must have been pretty close."

"She was my best friend," Jacob said looking off to the far wall. "I kept fighting for her and wanting her to choose me, but in the end she chose your dad. Then they had you. Now I'm glad she chose him."

"So what? The two of you were in love or something?" I asked.

Jacob smirked. "I thought I was in love with her, but not the way you're thinking. I think we loved each other as friends in the end. The way it was always supposed to be."

"Have you always been a wolf?"

"Yeah, it's a genetic thing. The gene to phase was triggered by a lot of vampires in the area around my tribe. About the time the Cullen's moved in."

I looked at him. "How old are you?"

Jacob turned to match my eyes. "I'm frozen around seventeen, which was the age I phased. I went through a huge growth spurt so I guess my physical age is roughly twenty-four. As long as I keep phasing, I'll never age and I will never die. What about you? You should be only nine years old."

I nodded. "Yeah, human years I'm nine, but as you can tell I look like I'm twenty-one. I finished aging about two years ago. Forever young, forever frozen."

Jacob reached down and took my hand and squeezed. "We'll be forever young together."

I jumped slightly when I heard a knock on the door. I stood up to answer and saw Bee and Nix standing on the other side with Brian and Jonathan.

"Ready?" Bee asked.

"Give us ten minutes. We'll meet you down stairs," I told them.

I watched as Bee lifted her one eyebrow knowingly. "Yeah, ten minutes."

I rolled my eyes, if she only knew that Jacob and I were not, nor will we ever be doing something like that, at least not any time soon. We still had so much to learn about each other.

I watched as the four of them walked toward the elevator and didn't turn to close the door until the elevator doors opened and they stepped in. I went to close the door when a scent hit me.

"Jacob," I whispered.

I could feel him standing behind me. His body heat radiating off of him. "Yeah?"

"You smell that?"

I heard him inhale deeply. "Yeah," his voice was strained. "It's the same scent from last night. I think it's time we leave now."

I shook my head. "No, I think it's time we get to our friends. The scent was strongest when the elevator doors opened."

The two of us moved quickly as we changed our clothes and then flew towards the stairwell much faster than humanly possible. We reached the hotel lobby just as the elevator doors opened. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the two couples standing inside, but my heart felt like it was going to stop when I saw the pale skin and the ruby red eyes staring back at me.

"That was fast," Jonathan said taking hold of Nix's hand and guiding her out of the elevator. "What did you guys do, parachute down from the balcony?"

"No, we took the stairs, we raced," Jacob said his eyes also locked on the vampire that was stepping off of the elevator and then making his way toward the lobby and then out of the door into the busy street.

I reached for Jacob's hand to project my question. _It's the same one from the campus?_

Jacob nodded his head quickly as we followed the group outside. Jacob bent down slightly and spoke quietly in my ear. "I think he's tracking either you or Nix. Since I interrupted his _dinner_ he is focused on completing it."

"What do we do?"

"We make it through the night and then we leave."


	11. Alone

Chapter 11 Playlist: _I Think We're Alone Now_ by Tiffany

Alone

Jacob's POV

Crushing the phone in my hand after Bella hung up felt odd. After so many years of not hearing a thing from my former best friend and then all of a sudden speaking to her like nothing ever happened was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I could not shake the feeling that I may not be able to hear her voice again. I looked over to Nessie and noticed that she seemed to be holding it together by the seams. As much as I wanted to ponder more on Bella's cryptic message I knew now was not the time. Not only did I have to think about Nessie, I also had our friends. I was more in agreement to leave right now with her and get back to UCLA find the box and leave.

Both of us didn't even think twice when we flew out of the room and down to the lobby of the hotel in hopes to beat the elevator when we both caught the scent. It sent a shiver down my spine as I recalled it was the same scent from that fateful night that Ness walked in on the preying leech.

"I think he's tracking either you or Nix. Since I interrupted his _dinner_ he is focused on completing it." I whispered in Nessie's ear as we left the hotel following our friends.

"What do we do?"

"We make it through the night and then we leave."

My first priority is to keep Nessie safe as well as our human friends.

She smiled at all the appropriate times, but I could tell that she didn't really want to be here. We both sat down in the outside pavilion of the restaurant as we watched the sun setting. Dinner has already been ordered and I was enjoying my second beer while Bee, Nix, Jonathan and Brian were out on the dance floor.

"Where do you think he is?" Ness leaned in to whisper.

I looked over to her and saw her eyes darting everywhere, but keeping a large focus on her friends.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm not sure, keeping out of the light that's for sure. But I have the feeling he could be hanging around the hotel."

"Waiting for the slaughter?" Ness shivered at the thought.

"You don't recognize him or anything do you? Friends of the family?"

Ness shook her head. "No, but I never really met very many of my kind. I was very sheltered. After all, I am practically one of a kind and my parents didn't want certain people to know about me."

I nodded in agreement. "I know that before you were born your father was fearful of what you would be like. You were an unknown."

Ness looked up to me and I could not help but get lost in her dark chocolate color eyes. "And what about you? You knew mom when she was pregnant with me what did you think?"

I knew that this was a part of my history that I couldn't keep from her, but didn't really want to talk about right now. But looking into her eyes I knew I couldn't lie about it either. "I was scared at what you were doing to my best friend." I started thinking that honesty was the best approach. "We, your dad and I didn't know anything about you. All we could see and tell was what was happening to Bella from the outside. Neither one of us wanted Bella to die."

Ness turned away from me looking out toward the crashing waves as they hit the beach. "I know that my dad wanted me dead. Did you?"

I followed her line of sight and let out a heavy breath. "Yes," I whispered before turning my attention back to her. "But only because of what I said earlier. No one knew what you would be like. And now I am thankful that no one did. Then I wouldn't have been able to finally get to meet you."

"All my life I knew that someone was missing from it," Ness looked me in the eye. "And now I know it was you. Do you think that this imprint thing would have brought us together eventually?"

"Yes, I think it would have. I never stopped phasing for some reason and the day of what I am guessing was your birth I felt the connection I had toward Bella, but felt even more lost and confused."

We stopped the conversation when our meal arrived and the rest of the gang came back over to the table.

"I can't believe we need to leave tomorrow morning," Bee said as she reached for a hot wing. "You sure we can't talk you into skipping another couple of days, Renesmee?"

Ness chewed on the bottom of her lip and I could tell that she was contemplating on telling them what has been going on. "Um, I actually need to get back. I received a phone call this afternoon and there is some family emergency. I need to get back home actually."

Nix and Bee both gasped at the same time while Nix reached over and took hold of Nessie's hand. "Why didn't you say something, we could have left earlier."

Ness shook her head. "No, I wanted you all to enjoy your time. We'll leave first thing in the morning, just like we planned."

The rest of the night went on with no problems and no more mystery vampire scents. We all said good night to each other in the hallway and agreed to be up with the sun to grab breakfast before making the trip across the border and back to LA.

"I'm going to go ahead and get a shower," Nessie said quietly while she dug through her bag.

She grabbed all of her stuff and walked toward the bathroom. She turned to look over her shoulder and smiled sadly at me. "Thank you," she whispered.

I just nodded my head not really sure what she was thanking me for. Since meeting her it almost seems like I have done nothing but bring bad news; first the imprinting, then the relationship with her mother. On top of that the phone call that had both of us on the verge of a break down not really knowing what was happening. Then you throw in the idea that I wanted her dead along with her father before she was even born. But maybe there is more to this imprinting thing than meets the eye. Would we have found each other eventually? Deep down I am not really sure. After all it would be like finding a needle in a hay stack. Would I have changed any of it? Nope and I think it should be me telling her thank you.

I pulled the covers back on one of the beds and climbed in. My mind exhausted by the rough trip that this little vacation turned into. I closed my eyes for a moment while I gathered my thoughts. I knew that this weekend will be the easiest of days compared to what is to come. I know that tomorrow is going to be rough. I opened my eyes when I heard the door open to the bathroom and I could feel my mouth drop as I watched Nessie walk out of the bathroom and over to the other bed wearing a tight baby blue tank top and extremely short shorts. Little Jake twitched at the sight and I could tell he was putting up a protest when I turned my eyes away from her.

"Jacob," Nessie whispered. "You asleep?"

"No," I said just as quietly.

"What do you think is going to happen tomorrow?"

I rolled on my side and I could see her in the moonlight looking back at me. "I think that everything will be okay. If I know your mom and dad like I think I do. They will have things in place to keep you safe."

She nodded in agreement. "You're not like other guys, are you?"

I was taken aback by that question and the sudden change in topic. "What do you mean?"

Even in the little amount of light I could see her blush. "Well, I was talking to Nix and Bee and they are surprised that we have done nothing but talk. So, I'm guessing you're not interested in me like that."

Now I was really surprised by the turn in topic. "Renesmee, I'm not squeaky clean, I do have a past that I'm not proud of and if I knew what would lead me to you I would have waited for you."

"So, how many have you been with you?"

I cringed at having to answer this. "I'm not really sure."

"Were you in love with any of them?"

"No," I answered honestly. "I never was with a girl more than a couple of times before moving on to the next."

I could see her nod her head. "Then I can understand now why you never tried anything with me this weekend. It's because I'm inexperienced."

I agreed with her statement, but not for the reasons that she was probably thinking. "I want to be with you but not as a one night stand. I want to take it slow with you and know you. I want everything to be the way it needs to be. And the fact that you are inexperienced makes me want to move even slower."

I could see her eyes light up slightly. "So, I'm not going to be a girl that you will leave in the morning?"

I climbed out of my bed and kneeled next to her bed placing her face into my large hands. "Renesmee, you will never be the girl that I will leave high and dry the next morning. I told you last night that I'm here to stay. Imprinting has one main purpose and that is to find our perfect match. You're stuck with me for however long you want me to be here. Only you can send me packing. My main goal is to make sure you're happy."

"You have to do whatever will make me happy?" She asked as I watched her eyes dance.

I nodded. "To an extent, as long as you're happy, I'll be happy."

"Kiss me," she breathed.

I blinked a second and then asked her with my eyes if this was what she really wanted. I watched as she licked her lips with anticipation. Little Jake was already twitching with even more excitement as I leaned closer to her. Our lips barely touched when I felt a shock of electricity between us. The kiss started off tentatively. I could tell that she was unsure of what to do. Each small kiss started to get longer and longer until eventually both of our lips were moving together in perfect harmony. Her lips were warm and smooth and she moaned slightly which opened her mouth as my tongue began to trace her bottom lip. As soon as our tongues touched each other the wolf in me wanted to do nothing more than to claim what was mine.

My hands moved to her hair, clutching tightly as I moved her head closer to mine. She rolled onto her back as I began to make my way onto her bed positioning myself comfortably between her legs. I could feel her warm heat at her core even through the couple layers of clothes that we had. My hand on its own accord moved from her hair down her side and lay resting on her hip. I moved my thumb softly as it grazed the smooth warm skin that was made visible when her hands wrapped around my neck. I pulled back just slightly to catch out breaths both of us breathing hard.

"Wow," she breathed. "My first kiss."

I was shocked to hear that as I rolled off of her and laid next to her on the other side of the bed. "Wow is right. I'm your first kiss?"

Ness chewed on her bottom lip which was swollen from the kiss and nodded her head. "I never really had a boyfriend before. There was this one guy, he's a half-breed like me, but he had alterative motives and when Dad found out he sent him packing real quick."

I rose up onto my elbow to look at her. "What kind of motives?"

"Breeding. His father was into creating half-breeds so when they heard about me, he sent his son to ask for my hand in marriage. My father didn't even let him get very far than a couple of dates so we could get to know each other before Nahuel slipped in his thoughts. That was about two years ago when I reached full maturity."

My hands began to shake slightly at the thought of someone laying a hand on Renesmee like that. Breeding her like she was a piece of cattle instead of a beautiful girl that should be making love to someone that she loved.

I could feel her hands wrap around one of my wrists and I stilled almost immediately. "You're shaking," she said quietly.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to steady myself. "It burns me to think that someone wants to use you for that."

"Well, no one is going to be using me like that now," she continued to hold onto my wrist rubbing small circles with her thumb. "My dad scared him off pretty good, haven't heard or seen of him in two years."

"What is the chance that is who your family is trying to protect you from now?" I asked looking into her chocolate eyes.

Nessie shrugged her shoulders. "I highly doubt it. There is no reason for him to come after me now. I made my decision then and I would make the same one again."

She moved slightly so that her head was resting on my chest. I wrapped my arm around her and drew her closer to me. "I won't let anyone get to you," I whispered as I inhaled her sweet scent. "I promise."

"I know," she breathed.

I closed my eyes and listened as her heart began to beat in perfect rhythm of my own. It felt good to have her warm body close to mine. It was right.

The sun began to creep through the heavy hotel drapes as I reached up to rub my eyes. I looked down and could still see Nessie lying in the exact same position. I tightened my grip on the arm that was still wrapped around her and she let out a sigh of contentment. What I would give to stay like this forever. I inhaled deeply and watched as Nessie began to stir slightly from my movement. Her hand that was over my heart moved down lower on my stomach as she rubbed the thin hair below my navel. I watched as a small smile caressed her lips and it took everything in my power to not lift that hand to see what she was smiling about or dreaming.

I jolted awake more so with a loud bang on the other side of the door.

"Yo, Jake, it's close to ten," Jonathan hollered out. "Check out is ten thirty."

"Yeah, we'll meet you down stairs," I yelled out hating the fact that I had to wake Nessie up.

I reached with my other hand and began to push the hair out of her eyes and could see her staring back up at me. "It's time to get up."

She pursued her lips into a pout which I had to stop myself from kissing. "I don't wanna get up yet."

I kissed the top of her head. "Me neither, but it's time to check out and we do have things that we are going to need to take care of."

She glared at me and I could tell that she was not really a morning person. "Fine, but only because it means we will be at UCLA soon and I can finally begin to figure out what is going on with my family."

The drive back to UCLA was quiet between Nessie and I, but the rest of our friends talked continuously. When Ness pulled up at her dorm everyone jumped out and began grabbing their bags quickly.

I reached over and grabbed Nessie's hand and squeezed it. "I'm going to follow Bee up to your room and grab the box that your mom wants. I'll be back in a moment."

She turned to look at me and I could see her eyes begin to tear up. "I think I should go."

I shook my head. "Your mom made it sound like she somehow cleaned your scent out of there. I'll be right back."

I leaned over and kissed her forehead and followed Bee and Nix up to the dorms.

"Renesmee isn't coming up?" Bee asked as she put her key into the handle and opened the door.

"No, her mom called and there is a family emergency, I was told that everything she would need will be ready for her."

Bee opened the door and froze when she stepped inside. "Someone's been in here."

I looked around and could see that the place was basically cleaned spotless; there wasn't even a lingering scent of Nessie in this room. I walked over to the lone suitcase that was on the top bunk of the bed.

"Jacob, this is weird," Jonathan said from behind me.

I just nodded. "I'm going to take this to her," I said as I made sure to rub my shoulder between him and the door way as I left. "Then going to my room to gather a few things."

"You going with her?" Brian asked.

"Yeah, she's really worried about her family, not sure how she will do driving."

Brian's brow moved in confusion which I could understand. After all, how could I feel the need to go off with a girl to lend a hand in a family emergency? "I'll see you around."

I moved quickly back outside and put the suitcase into the back of the car. Nessie turned to look at me and I could see her questions that she wanted to ask in her eyes.

"The place is spotless, whoever was there went through a great deal of effort to get your scent out of there."

She nodded. "What next?"

"Now, I'm going to my room to get some things and then we are going to leave."

Ness backed out of the parking lot and went to the other side of the campus to the frat house. I jumped out of the car before she even had it in park and ran up the front steps.

"Jake, how was it?" someone called out, but I ignored them as I slipped into my room. I reached under my bed and grabbed my suitcase but halted when it wasn't there.

I looked around and saw that my suitcase was sitting on my bed. I walked over to it slowly and saw a note attached to it. I recognized the writing of Bella on the front. I reached for it and opened it up my eyes skimming quickly but slowing down to re-read it again.

_Jake,_

_I know that this is going to be hard for you, after all, who would have thought that after nine years our lives would cross like this again. I am begging you now to put all of our past history behind you. I always knew that you were to be in my life one way or another. I would have never thought it was due to my daughter that would bring us all full circle. I am entrusting you this one thing that is most precious to me and to Edward._

_I told him about the imprinting and at first he was enraged but the more that he thought about it and what he has seen in the minds of the other imprinted wolves he understood. I have already packed your bag and I am guessing you have already gotten Renesmee's. I can't go into great detail, just know that we will be in contact. _

_We have been keeping our daughter's life a secret from our kind. Alice had a vision the other day and it did not look good. We, as a family split up. To keep her safe. We do not want to know where the two of you are, that way there is no way to give the two of you up. Take care of her. Do what you think is necessary to stay alive. Between the two suitcases you will have everything that you will need. _

_You're my best man, Jake, take care and take care of my daughter._

_Bella_

I inhaled deeply and recognized the scent of a vampire in my room but I knew it was one that I could trust. I pulled the letter into my back pocket and gathered up my suitcase. I passed Henry on my way out and quickly explained that I had an emergency that I wasn't sure when I would be back, if I ever will be back.

"Ready?" Nessie asked me who seemed to be calm when I put my bag with hers in the back seat.

I nodded my head. "Drive," I said quietly.

Nessie put the car into drive and began to navigate her way through the now rush hour traffic of LA. We didn't say a word for the first hour of driving. There was nothing to really say, we both knew that something was wrong that we were running from something. When I saw that she began to rub her eyes and yawn a couple of times we decided to stop for the night. Nessie pulled into a Holiday Inn that was right off the highway when we crossed into Nevada.

"I'm going to get us a room," Nessie said as she climbed out and walked toward the lobby.

I went ahead and grabbed our bags and locked up the car and followed her from the lobby to the elevators.

Nessie let out a sigh as she opened the door to the room and dropped down onto the bed looking exhausted.

"I'm going to get cleaned up and then lets order something to eat," I said dropping our bags onto the dresser by the TV.

"Kay," she mumbled. "I'm going to look through my bag and see what all my mom packed for us."

I nodded while I grabbed a clean pair of sweats out of my bag. The shower felt great on my tense muscles, but I didn't take as long as I normally would have liked. I didn't want to leave her alone for too long. I wrapped the towel around my waist and dried off quickly. Once my sweats were on I opened the door to see Nessie lying on the bed with papers scattered all out in front of her. When I walked closer to her I saw that it wasn't just papers bust stacks and stacks of cash.

"There's over two million dollars here," Nessie mused as she looked up to me. "I'm guessing we are going to be on our own for a while."

I reached out and picked up a stack and then placed it back down. I looked across from the piles of money to see a manila envelope. "What's in there?"

Nessie sat up Indian style and grabbed the envelope. She emptied the contents out and her eyes grew wide as she picked up each individual item. "Passports, driver's licenses, bank accounts, credit cards. She's had this planned for a while."

I opened my suitcase and saw another letter tucked away next to one of the pockets. I picked it up and felt something small on the inside. I emptied the contents from the envelope and my breath caught when I saw my mother's engagement ring looking back at me.

_Thought you would want this. Charlie found it in Billy's stuff and mailed it to me, thinking I would have a way to get it back to you. I know this is not what you are going to want to hear right now and I'm sorry. Jake, Billy passed away a few years back. I know that this belongs to you. And I'm sure you know the perfect person to give it to when you're ready._

_Talk to you soon_

I put the ring back into the envelope and tucked it deep into the pockets of the suitcase. I couldn't help but feeling that Nessie and I are alone now. I looked over my shoulder as Nessie wiped a single tear from her cheek as she read over a letter of her own. She looked up to me suddenly and we both locked eyes.

"Jacob," her voice hitched and I was frozen in my spot.

All I could do was stare at her. "Come here," I held my hand out to her and she jumped off the bed landing into my chest. Her legs wrapping around my waist. She hung onto me like I was a lifeline. I could feel her salty tears as they ran down her cheeks and onto my chest. I reached up and pulled her closer to me. One hand going into her hair trying to sooth her.

It was in that moment that I saw her true age. Granted she might look and act like a twenty-one year old but deep down she was after all a nine year old.

"Shh….Nessie, it's going to be alright, I promise." I said softly.

We stood like that until the sun went down and the room became darker. Neither one of us moving. The only sound was the beating of our hearts.

"I can't help but think we're alone now," she whispered.

**Thanks to all that have been reviewing, alerts and favorites! They are very much appreciated! But I do want to say one thing...Each person on here writes because they enjoy writing. Each person has their own ideas, their own views. There was a review that was down right mean. I have read so many fanfictions in the last 3 years since I have been introduced to this awesome site. And int he ten or so stories that I have written I have never had a review like the one I received. For me personally, when I read a story I will get through the first couple of chapters to see how it seems to be going. If I am enjoying I will review, if it is something that is not seeming to go the way I think, I won't - easy as that. The next chapter we will begin to see more of the budding relationship of Ness and Jake as well as what is going on with the Cullens.**

**On a side note, I am excited to say that I am healing nicely and back at work. I am also excited that I have an agent looking at my full manuscript for my first novel that I wrote close to 2 years ago. It is also July which I have committed to write another 50k in 30 days and I am beyond excited about this novel. It is a long lost love romance. **


	12. Eye of the Tiger

Chapter 12 Playlist: _Eye of the Tiger_ by Survivor

Fight or Flight

Renesmee's POV

I wasn't sure how long he held me all I knew was I didn't want him to let go. My head rested on his shoulder as his hand ran up and down my back and hair trying to sooth me. The warmth of his bare chest and his beating heart was soothing. At some point I could feel him shifting as he laid me on the bed and pulling the blankets around me. Tucking me in just like the nine year old that I really am. Kissed my forehead and brushed stray out of my face. I looked up to his dark eyes and all I could see is compassion, sorrow, fear and something else I couldn't distinguish…love maybe?

He began to walk away and I wanted to reach out to him, but decided against it. Now was not the time to be clingy. Hell, we really didn't even know each other. All I really knew was he was a man by day, wolf by night sort of thing. He was best friends with my Mom, actually loved my mom. And right now he was the closest thing I had to family. If Mom trusted him, then so did I. I knew without a doubt when he held me that I trusted him and felt safe, even now with him sitting in the chair by the door. But in his posture I could tell that he was stressed. He was stiff, guarded, like he was protecting me.

I closed my eyes, trying to even my breathing. I wanted nothing more than to have sleep conquer me. I knew that everything will seem better in the morning. It always is. Then again how much worse could they get. I mean in a matter of days my life changed drastically. A month ago I came to California for school and now I am on the run from something or someone. No clues as to where to go and just trusting on fate.

I knew when I woke up a few hours later to the small stream of light coming in from the curtains that it was a restless sleep. I rolled over to look at the door where Jacob was, but sat up with a start when he wasn't there. I inhaled deeply and realized that his therapeutic scent of musky, morning after rain in the woods scent was weak. I stood up, my knees weak and shaky with fear, as panic began to seep through me. I turned around to look in the other bed and saw that it looked somewhat slept in. The bathroom door was open. I swallowed hard and went to get my clothes to get cleaned up. My head told me to go looking for him but my heart was telling me to stay put and get changed. There was a lot to figure out.

I walked into the bathroom and turned on the water. I pulled my hair out of the nasty and tangled ponytail and tried to get a brush through the unruly curls but after a few minutes of struggle I threw the brush on the counter. I took out my shampoo and conditioner. Pulled my clothes off and stepped into the steaming hot shower. I exhaled deeply as my muscled began to relax. A few minutes later I began to lather up the sponge with my body wash. It was good to be in there, almost felt like I washing away the stress and fears.

I finally shut the water out when the temperature began to change drastically. I wrapped a towel around my body and then one in my hair. I took a washcloth to wipe the steam off the mirror and cracked the door open to allow for the moisture to escape. The scent that mingled with the fresh smells of the bathroom relaxed me even more so as Jacob's scent was prominent now. I let out a breath that I didn't even realize I was holding. I quickly put clean clothes on and gathered up all of my stuff.

I stepped out and saw Jacob sitting on his bed with a huge tray of food. I totally forgot about us having to go out and get something to eat last night. He looked up at me and I could tell by the dark bruises under his eyes that he didn't sleep much.

"I went and picked up some breakfast from the lobby," he pointed toward the bed. "Wasn't sure what you liked, or if you really eat…"

I walked over and sat Indian style on the bed across from him and reached for the yogurt and spoon. "Thank you and I do eat," I started. "I have been trying to give up hunting but every once in a while it gets to be a little much. I have the feeling I may not be able to hunt for a while though."

I couldn't help but notice the grimace when I talked about my food preference.

"So, I guess you hunt animals, right?" His back was tense and he wouldn't look at me while he asked.

I blinked a few times at the question. "Yeah, of course, but like I said, I don't very often, the last time was around Labor Day weekend; a week or so before the auction."

He relaxed visibly before picking up an egg biscuit. It was quiet for a moment as the two of us ate.

"So," I said as I picked up all the garbage and walked toward the trash can. "What next?"

Jacob looked over at me and sighed. "I'm not sure. I think we should try to stay in crowded places for a few days. Try not to attract too much attention."

I nodded and picked up the envelope of passports. I flipped one open and studied the name. "Well, Mr. Wolf, I think we will need to get some sort of cover story as well."

"What?" His eyes surprised at the name change.

I held out the passports. "Mom changed our identities. Something I'm used to. I've have yet to stay in a place longer than three years, especially with my growth spurt. So as of today you can either be Jacob Wolf, Jake Blacke, with an 'e' I might add, or Jacob Swan. You pick." I went through the other three passports and saw that my new surnames matched those of Jacob's which seemed odd to me.

"Do we need to pick right now?" Jacob asked. "I mean we can stay who we are for a little while and then make some new plans in a few days."

"Um. Yeah, sure." I sat on my bed I slept in last night and reached over for the TV changer. I watched as Jacob piled the pillows behind his head and lay down. I knew that staying here for at least the day was probably a good thing. He was exhausted. It wasn't long before I could hear his steady breath and his heart rate slow to know he was asleep.

I moved my pillow to the foot of the bed and settled in to watching useless TV.

"Renesmee," Jacob whispered as he shook my shoulder. "Wake up, we need to go."

I rolled over off of my stomach and stretched. It was semi-dark in the room. "Why?"

"That scent, its close."

I sat up straight and inhaled not picking up anything different. "Where?"

"I don't know," Jacob said as he began to pick up the bags which I saw were already packed. "It's a new scent. I didn't smell it earlier when I grabbed breakfast. I went outside to grab some dinner and it was faint. We need to get out of here. I'm thinking that leech is after you."

I just nodded as I reached down and put on my shoes. I did a quick sweep of the room and then followed Jacob out to the car. He put everything into the trunk and then went to the driver seat.

Jacob made quick time to get back on the interstate and began to head east. "Where are we going exactly?"

He looked over to me. "Vegas is about five hundred miles. The city is huge and during the day too bright. I think we should be okay there for a couple of days."

I nodded and couldn't keep the smile that started to pull at the corner of my lips. "Yeah, that sounds like fun."

We were on the road for a few hours both of us stuck in our own heads. I could tell that by the small glimpse of the scent that it was the same vampire that was on the campus as well as in Mexico. What I couldn't figure out was what he wanted. Initially I thought he was after Nix because she was after all his "dinner" at the time, but if that was the case then he wouldn't be here in Nevada. I personally didn't want to run from him. To me the logical thing would be to get answers. Trap him somehow.

My eyes grew as an idea formed. "Bait him."

Jacob's brow furrowed together in confusion as he quickly looked before turning his gaze back to the long stretch of black asphalt in the dry Nevada desert heat. "What?"

I chewed on my lip before I answered him. "It's obvious that he's after me. So we bait him, makes for an easy kill," I shrugged my shoulders. "Or it will be an easy kill as soon as we figure out what he wants."

"No!" Jacob's voice was loud and furious sounding. "We know what he wants, you! Why give him any more opportunity?"

"Jacob, just hear me out," I looked him with pleading eyes. "Use me as bait, I can get some answers and then when I'm satisfied we can kill him. I mean how hard could it be to kill one vampire?"

Jacob lifted an eyebrow as he looked at me. "One? When was the last time you have seen just one vampire roaming around. In my experience there is usually at least two. We would have bigger issues if that one vampire that is chasing us has a mate. If I kill him, his mate will be all over us."

I shrugged my shoulders. I knew he was right, but then again I never really been around too many of my own kind, or at least not many that did not share the same diet as my family. "We can take him Jacob."

"No, we can't."

I turned away from him and looked out the window not even realizing that the sun was beginning to go down as we were crossing a more vegetated area of desert. I made a split decision as I put my hand on the door handle. "Well, there is one way to find out!"

I unlatched my seat belt and opened the door. I knew that jumping and rolling out of a car going at least a hundred wasn't going to hurt me. The wrath of Jacob will probably be a hell of a lot worse than the few scraps and cuts that will heal in a matter of hours. My skin may be tough like my family but I was still partly human with blood. We learned early on when I fell out of a tree when I looked to be about three that I can be broken, but the more amazing thing that Carlisle enjoyed was the rapid rate of healing. That was the first time I heard the word "wolves" even though I had no clue as to what he was referring to.

I quickly jumped to my feet and began to run along the dark cover of the small amount of trees and bushes. Thank God for the speed I inherited from Dad. I heard the car come to a stop and the driver side door slam shut. I had no doubt that Jacob would be able to catch up to me. I mean he had to be able to chase vampires who were extremely fast to be able to kill them. But what I was not expecting was that I could feel his arms wrap around my waist and lift me up.

"Jacob put me down, this'll work." I kicked and screamed as he started to walk slowly back toward the car.

"I don't think so. You are not going to put yourself in danger."

"I can take care of myself, I'm not that breakable."

Jacob lifted up my arm where I could see the dried blood from where I rolled along the road. "Not that breakable, but your still breakable and I made a promise to your mother that I will make sure you're safe. Now we are getting back in the car and leaving."

"Jacob, the quicker we do this the sooner we can get back on the road. I know he's following us. Please."

"Renesmee, we are not…"Jacob froze as he lifted his head to look over my head.

I stiffened as well as I allowed my senses to take over. I put my hand on Jacob's cheek afraid to move or speak. _He's here._

Jacob just barely nodded his head and his eyes darted toward the left. I followed his stare and could make out a frame that was walking slowly, watching.

_Put me down._

Jacob shook his head.

_Jacob you need to put me down, you're going to need to phase, you can't fight him in your human form. I'll be fine. Go!_

Jacob shifted his gaze to me slightly before his grip slowly loosened and I slid down his body; my feet touching the soft dirt under me my eyes never once leaving his.

"I'll be fine," I whispered as I turned around.

My breath hitched as I heard Jacob step back and walked back slowly away from me. It seemed like time has stood still the further Jacob got and the closer the stranger came. I quickly racked my brain for the small amount of defensive moves that Uncle Jasper and Uncle Emmett taught me against my father's wishes.

"_Edward she needs to know how to handle herself in any situation," Jasper stood looking at Dad dead in the eye. "We are not always going to be around to take care of her."_

_I watched on the couch with my arms crossed as Emmett and Jasper stood up for me and my pleas._

"_We'll be careful," Emmett rubbed his hands together already getting excited about the idea of a wrestling match._

_Dad's eyes flitted to mine for a second and then over to Mom who just shrugged her shoulders. "They're right, Edward. One day she will be out on her own. She will be fully matured and want to live out her own life. We can't always be there to knock all the human boys off of her."_

_I smiled triumphantly as Mom stuck up for me and Dad's shoulders dropped in defeat._

"_Fine, you can teach her some self defense moves. With the vile thoughts of all those boys at a high school I guess she should be able to handle them."_

I shook my head out of the memory. I started school the following month and Dad only wanted me to know the three "N's" – nose, knees and nuts. Right now, staring at the vampire that was only a few yards away I highly doubted that the self defense moves were really going to help me.

"_Renesmee," Jasper said as we were walking back into the house. "If a time ever comes and you need to fight our own kind. Go with your own instincts. In the end it's no different than hunting. Game of the fittest."_

I could still hear Dad's growl when we entered the house.

"Well, well, well," the stranger came up to me and circled around his beady red eyes never leaving my face. "You are a hard one to track, you know that."

I tried not to flinch as he picked up a curl of my hair and inhaled my scent. "Mmmmm, delicious. But I do need to know where your friend is?"

I swallowed hard. "What do you want?"

A quiet laugh escaped his mouth. "You."

"Sorry, but I'm already taken."

"That's fine. I always get what I want."

He walked in front of me his eyes looking directly into mine. I could tell that he was confused by my scent and the sound of a fast beating heart. He tilted his head trying to focus. "You're human, but not like any human I have ever met."

"And you are not like any I have ever met before."

He leaned forward and grabbed my hair and tilted my head back. I could feel his cold breath along my neck and shivered involuntarily. "What are you?"

"Not going to tell you, but you are going to tell me who you are."

He laughed loudly. "I don't think so."

"I do," I reached my hand up and put my hand on his face quickly. He jerked slightly as I started to pick through his brain. My head began to hurt trying to sort through it all. It felt like forever but only took seconds before I lifted my hand. "Thank you, that's all I needed. Jacob."

The stranger dropped my neck and his eyes grew larger as he saw the giant wolf running towards him. He went to make a move, but I quickly held onto one of his arms and yanked with all my strength. His screams were loud as Jacob quickly finished him off.

I pulled the lighter out of my pocket that Uncle Jasper always made sure that all of us carried. I knelled down and let the flame lick at the arm. I felt a sense of accomplishment knowing that he was out of the picture.

"Renesmee," Jacob came up to me and my eyes looked up to him. "What did you do? You didn't get hardly any information. I thought that was what this whole suicide mission was about."

"Oh, I got plenty of information," I smiled. "I'll tell you about it while we drive to Vegas."

"Okay," Jacob walked toward the car with me looking at me with skepticism every few seconds.

I couldn't help the smug smile that graced my face knowing that I helped take down someone that has been tracking me for the last two months. But what I didn't like was how he knew where to find me and how even knew about me.

"Can you at least tell me if you know who he was?"

I looked up at him. "Friends of someone that I think we may have just pissed off."

**Thanks for all the views! Hope you all enjoyed the rest of your weekend! Be sure to check out my Ness and Jake community, have been reading tons of stories lately and updated the community list. If you have any stories you recommend let me know!**


	13. Wanna Be

**Sorry for not updating in while. Been out job hunting and finally found a job and started today. Enjoy!**

Chapter 13 Playlist: _I Wanna be a Billionaire _by Travie McCoy

Jacob's POV

Mad isn't even the word I would use to describe what I was feeling. Pissed is more like it. My damn imprint just tried to kill me…her…us. I slammed on the breaks when she decided jumping out the door of a moving car. Being stubborn as hell, she wanted to bait the leech that has been following us around for the last few days. Well, if you want to get technical, he's really been tracking her since school started. I smelt his scent for the first time a day before school started and chased it off. UCLA was my new territory and I'll be damned if a killing spree was going to happen while I was there. I would have never thought that he was looking, snooping and tracking a girl that wasn't even there yet. Or maybe she was and I never knew it.

My hands clenched on the steering wheel and I had to back off on the strength so I wouldn't break the thing. I inhaled deeply and Nessie's sent calmed me slightly.

"How mad are you?" Nessie spoke quietly with her head pressed against the passenger side window.

I looked over at her quickly and then turned my attention back to the road that stretched out ahead of us. In that quick motion I could tell that she was shying away from me. Her entire frame was at the farthest point from me. Part of me wanted to reach out and tuck her under my arm while the other part wanted to rip her to shreds. Did I mention I was pissed?

When I didn't answer she let out a shaky breath. "Look, I'm sorry, but I just had to get him off our butts. I needed to help my family in whatever way I could. And I did. You did. You killed him and I got all the information. Granted it might not be the information that I…we needed, but he's gone."

I knew that her logic was spot on, but it doesn't mean I had to forgive her. I exhaled the breath that I didn't even realize that I was holding. My hands loosening on the steering wheel and turned the blinker on as I saw the exit for Vegas coming up. It took another fifteen minutes before we started to find our way to the strip. The silence was deafening.

"Jacob, I'm sorry."

I pulled my bottom lip into my mouth and began to chew on it. When I pulled into the Circus, Circus Casino I finally turned to look at her. "Don't you _ever_ do that again!"

I could hear my voice change, a timbre that reminded me of Sam, my Alpha, from back in the day. And that scared me. Granted as far as I know, there isn't anyone left from the packs still phasing and I am the rightful person for the job so I guess it shouldn't have surprised me. What did though was I used it on Nessie. I saw what the voice did to her as she shrieked away from me again. I immediately felt bad, but I needed for her to understand.

I opened the car door and walked to the trunk to grab our bags to go check in. I walked over to her side of the door and opened it for her. I held out my hand and she took it hesitantly. We walked into the entry way and I watched as Nessie's eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning. She took in all the bright colors and the circus theme of the casino. I really had no clue why I pulled into here, but watching her expression I knew it was a good choice.

"They have elephants!" She squealed when she saw the sign that led to the outside area that housed the circus animals.

"We can explore later, let's get settled first," I pull her gently toward the check in counter. "We still need to discuss what you found out."

She nodded.

"Good evening and welcome to the Circus, Circus Casino," the woman said looking up from her screen and smiling brightly at me. "Checking in?"

"Yes, need a room for two nights," I said as I pulled out my wallet and handed over my new ID.

I watched as she began typing away on her computer. "How many beds?" She asked looking over to Nessie who was standing slightly behind me.

"Whatever you have available," I stated.

She nodded. "I only have kings that can be booked for two nights, if you want something different I will need to move you to another room tomorrow."

"King is fine."

Few minutes later Nessie and I were heading up to our room on the fifteenth floor. I kept my eye on her the entire time as she took in the lights and sounds of everything. She again reminded me of a kid on Christmas morning.

"What's that?"

I looked over to where she was pointing toward. "The casino?"

She nodded. "Can we go? It looks like fun."

"Yeah, a casino is fun if you like to lose money. How about we get into our room and get settled, then we can explore."

She jutted out her bottom lip into a pout. "Fine."

"You still need to tell me what happened back there," I said as I pushed the button for fifteen.

She nodded her head, "I know, but I don't think you're going to like it."

I had to bite my tongue not to laugh. After the shit she pulled by jumping out of the car and then putting herself in harm's way with the leech, telling me what she found out was going to be the easy part. The elevator dinged and the doors opened up. I looked down to the key card to see our number and began to look for 1512. I slid the card in and opened the door for Ness to walk in. The room was much like the rest of the hotel with the bright primary circus colors that have been found throughout the rest of the hotel. Ness walked in and put a bag onto the bed while I placed the rest of the luggage onto the dresser and then walked back to the door to lock it.

"I'm going to get cleaned up," she said unzipping her bag. "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry."

I internally threw my hands in the air at her invasiveness, "You're dodging the questions."

"I'm not dodging anything. What difference does it make if I tell you everything now or wait a few more hours until after we eat. It's not going to change anything."

I walked over to her and put my hands on her shoulders bending my knees slightly to look into her dark chocolate eyes. "Ness, you said that we may have pissed some people off. I need to know so I know how to protect you or from what."

She let out a sigh and her sweet breath hit me in the face. "Would you believe I came to LA to get away from my vampire side and it follows me?"

I let my hands go and she walked over to the window that over looked the Strip down below.

"Actually, I can imagine going somewhere to get away from something," I said quietly behind her. "I actually spent almost ten years running from my past and trying to escape the vampires and yet they always find their way back to me. But I'm glad I decided to not give up my wolf side because then I would have never run into you."

She turned to look at me with a small smile playing on her lips. "You're sweet, but I came down to the one place my family couldn't. I wanted a chance to be normal, to be human. I gave up blood to eat human food. I forced my body to learn to sleep a good eight hours a night when I can live off of just a couple. I came to sunny California in hopes that there will be no vampires and instead I lead one right to me."

I watched her as she paced the floor and bite on her nails every few seconds. "You didn't lead him here. I have been chasing him off since around the time school started. You have already been around for a week or so when you stumbled upon his hunt."

Nessie shook her head. "No, in his memory's he was here the same time I showed up."

I mulled this over for a second. "Okay, let's start with his name and where he came from."

She looked down to the floor and took a deep breath. "His name is Demitri and he's a tracker."

"A tracker? Who sent him?"

"Demitri is part of the Volturi guard and they live in Italy. They're pretty much the kings of the vampire world and their main objective is to make sure that the secret is kept."

I nodded my head. "I've heard of them. You're mom went off to Italy to save your dad one time. Then they came to check on things after a small vampire army was formed. But what do they want and why track you?"

"You remember the guy, Naheul that wanted to marry me?" She asked looking at me and I nod my head for her to continue. "Well, Nahuel is a half-breed like me, except his father Joham created him. He sent Nahuel for me so that he can see what happens when two half breeds breed. Nahuel didn't hide his thoughts very well one day and Dad kicked him out. That was about two years ago, we thought that was the last time that we would have to worry about him. But now I guess I'm wrong."

I let my mind think about everything that Ness had said. The pit of my stomach felt heavy with the thought of someone wanting to use my Nessie for breeding. She's mine!

"Okay," I start off slowly. "What does all of that have to do with this tracker and the sick bastard?"

Ness sat down on the bed and I followed her. "Joham went to the Volturi to ask for help. They agreed and sent Demitri to find me and bring me back. But you kept getting in his path. He decided that enough was enough and set a trap using Nix. The hunt was a farce. He was hoping that I would ask him to let Nix go and take me instead but then you were there at the same time. He followed us to Mexico as well."

"Well, he's gone now there shouldn't be anything to worry about."

Nessie shook her head. "No, you're wrong, it's going to get bad which brings me to think this is something that Aunt Alice must have seen and why Mom told me to run."

"What do you think is going to happen next?"

"Nothing remains a secret for long in the vampire world. The three Ancients, Aro, Caius, and Marcus have eyes everywhere. I think we will have a week max before they send someone out here."

"Well, then we keep moving and get as far from here as possible before the week is over."

She nodded her head in agreement. "But I need to find my parents or at least someone from my family. We haven't spoken to them in nearly a week and I know for a fact that my Aunt is going to _see_ that Demitri is dead. Whatever my family planned I can guarantee that Demitri dying was not in the vision."

I had to lie down, all of this information was giving me a head ache and making me exhausted. I tuck a pillow under my head and close my eyes to think. "What do you want to do next?" I ask quietly.

She lay down next to me and I couldn't help but feel like she was too far away from me; even though we are nowhere near that point in our relationship. Yeah the kiss we shared the other night was mind blowing, but that was as far as it got. I wanted to reach over and pull her to me but, I also wanted her to make a move when she was ready. After all we have really only known each other for about two weeks and half that time we have been on the run.

"I think we should start heading to New Hampshire," she started. "We need to see if they're there or if there are clues as to where they could have gone."

I sat up on my elbows to look at her. "That would be the total opposite of what Bella asked me to do, you know that right?"

She rolled onto her side so she could look into my eyes. "I know that but, I just need something to go by. The house is either going to be full or they can tell us to leave or it'll be empty."

I reached over and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Nessie, they're fine, if it was safe to come home your mom would have said to come home. She would not have left us more than enough money to get by for a century."

She chewed on her lip as her eyes began to grow wet. "I know, but I miss them and I'm used to talking to them all the time. If they don't get through this I don't know what I'll do."

I pulled her close to me and she wrapped her arms around my waist as her head went to lie down on my chest. "I will not let anything happen to you and I will always be here for you. I think we should listen to what Bella said to do. You said that we have a week before someone will start looking for us so how about we enjoy the next two days here and then we start heading south."

I could feel her nod her head in agreement.

"Let's get some sleep and then we can go down and hit the casino like you wanted," I said with my eyes closing on their own already drifting off to sleep.

"Sure, sure," Nessie mumbled.

**Thanks for the reviews! And if you haven't already, please check out my other story _Five Minutes_ This is an all human, alternate universe, out of character story. It is actually my personal novel that I wrote that I am in the process of editing it. I decided to post here and change my characters to Twilight characters to get some feedback on it from all of you! It covers some very touchy subjects - death, disease, lose. Check out my profile and find the link!**


	14. Author Note

Authors Note

The Isle Esme Incident and Fireflies is in the process of a face lift and updates!

I have been crazy busy with returning to college after 10 years and it has been exciting to say the least. I'm coming up on a break and have been working hard to get some updates going but first I had to re-read all that I did write to make sure everything lines up. In the next couple of weeks, I will be replacing chapters with some minor edits, nothing big, just things that stood out. Continue to read and review!

As for FireFlies, that one is going to be getting the same treatment. It needs to be read through and some changes made. It will be getting updates again soon as well!

I'm not going to be leaving any of the stories hanging for much longer!


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